THE BRITISH INTERNED IN
SWITZERLAND
THE BRITISH INTERNED
IN SWITZERLAND
BY
LIEUT.-COLONEL H. P. PICOT, C.B E.
OFFICIER DE LA LEGION D'HONNEUR
LATE MILITARY ATTACH^ H.M.'S LEGATION, BERNE, AND BRITISH OFFICER IN
CHARGE OF THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
LONDON
EDWARD ARNOLD
1919
All rights reserved
Pi"
TO
MY WIPE AND DAUGHTER
CD
345427
PREFACE
IN giving the following pages to the public,
I do so in the hope that a plain statement
of the life and activities of British soldiers
whilst interned in Switzerland may prove of
interest to those at home who have shown in
so many and diverse ways their concern for the
welfare of their countrymen whilst Prisoners
of War in Germany, and, later, during the period
of their internment in Switzerland. I have
specially dwelt upon the fruitful initiative taken
by the Swiss Government in the negotiations
which preceded the acceptance by the belligerent
States of the principle of internment. I have also
endeavoured to show — I fear very inadequately —
with what whole-heartedness the Prisoners of
War were welcomed in their midst by all classes
of the population ; and with what devotion
the Medical Department of the Swiss Army,
to whose officers the organization of the camps
and the care of the sick were delegated, set
about its task.
With regard to the status of Prisoners of
War in Switzerland, it should be borne in mind
viii PREFACE
that the Interned were under the guardianship
of the Swiss Government, who undertook all
responsibility for their care, discipline, and
medical treatment. A special officer, or diplomat,
(as in the case of France and Germany ), nominated
by each of the belligerent States, was attached
to his Embassy or Legation with a view
to his collaboration with the Swiss political
and military authorities in respect of all matters
affecting the welfare of his interned countrymen,
the more delicate international questions arising
out of the internment being dealt with by the
Chiefs of the Diplomatic Missions accredited
to Switzerland.
I have said elsewhere, and perhaps I may
be permitted a repetition, that the sense of a
possible all-world-brotherhood had one of its
happiest demonstrations in the attitude of the
Swiss people towards the unfortunate sufferers
of the war.
In conclusion, I beg to express my indebtedness
and thanks to Lady Grant Duff for many of
the details connected with Chapters IV. and
V., as also to my wife and daughter for those
of Chapter XIV. on the social life of Berne
from 1914 to 1918.
H. PICOT.
CONTENTS
PAGE
PREFACE ..... . Vii
CHAPTER
I. INTRODUCTORY . . . .2
II. CONDITIONS IN SWITZERLAND ON THE OUTBREAK OP
WAR— THE SWISS ARMY . . . .11
III. PRELIMINARY NEGOTIATIONS IN CONNECTION WITH
THE REPATRIATION AND INTERNMENT OF
PRISONERS OF WAR . . . .24
IV. RED CROSS ORGANIZATIONS IN SWITZERLAND — THE
BRITISH LEGATION RED CROSS ORGANIZATION . 38
V. THE FOUNDATION AND ORGANIZATION OF THE
"BRITISH SECTION" OF THE "BUREAU DE
SECOURS AUX PRISONNIERS DE GUERRE " AT
BERNE . . . . . .54
VI. ARRIVAL IN SWITZERLAND OF THE FIRST CONTINGENT
OF BRITISH PRISONERS OF WAR FROM GERMANY . 72
VII. THE SWISS SYSTEM OF ADMINISTRATION AND DIS-
CIPLINE RELATIVE TO THE INTERNED PRISONERS
OF WAR . . • . . .83
VIII. MEDICAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE TREATMENT OF
THE SICK AND WOUNDED — THE PROVISION OF
HOSPITALS AND CLINICS . . . .98
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
IX. MEDICAL AND SURGICAL TREATMENT OF THE IN-
TERNED— INSPECTION BY LIEUT. -COLONEL SIR K.
JONES, R.A.M.C. ..... 119
X. SWISS ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE EMPLOYMENT OF
THE INTERNED — DIVISION INTO CATEGORIES TO
CORRESPOND TO DEGREE OF VALIDITY — TECHNICAL
AND EDUCATIONAL INSTRUCTION — WORKSHOPS AND
FACTORIES ...... 131
XI. EMPLOYMENT OF THE BRITISH INTERNED — CLASSES
AND WORKSHOPS — TECHNICAL TRAINING — SCHEME
OF DR. GARNETT ..... 144
XII. THE CHURCHES IN SWITZERLAND IN RELATION TO
THE INTERNED — ARRANGEMENTS MADE FOR THE
SPIRITUAL WELFARE OF THE BRITISH INTERNED
— ESTIMATES OF THE PSYCHICAL STATE OF THE
INTERNED ...... 159
XIII. HOMES — VISITS OF RELATIVES — RECREATIONS AND
SPORTS OF THE BRITISH INTERNED . . 174
XIV. BERNE IMPRESSIONS : ARTISTIC, MUSICAL, AND
SOCIAL UNDER WAR CONDITIONS . . 191
INDEX ...... 209
ABBREVIATIONS
B.L.R.C.O. British Legation Red Cross Organization.
C.P. of W.C. Central Prisoners of War Committee.
B.R.C.S. British Red Cross Society, London.
S.B.O. Senior British Officer of the Camp.
D.M.O. Directing Medical Officer.
P. of W. Prisoners of War.
A.S.A. " Armee Sanitats Anstalt." Military Hospital at
Seebourg.
T.I.M. " Travail d'Internes Militaires." Workshop for French
Interned at Vevey.
B.I.T.S. British Interned Technical School at Vevey.
C.C.C. Society. The Colonial and Continental Church Society.
Y.M.C.A. Young Men's Christian Association.
B.I.M. British Interned, Miirren.
C.B. Confinement to Barracks.
Ps. of W.H.C. Prisoners of War Help Committee.
G.H.Q. General Head Quarters.
Q.M.G. Quarter-Master General.
V.A.D. Voluntary Aid Detachment.
THE BRITISH INTERNED IN
SWITZERLAND
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTORY
DRIVING off with my daughter and just
a couple of portmanteaux to the London
Chatham and Dover Railway, on July 16, 1914,
en route for Thoune, our usual headquarters
when contemplating a few weeks' wandering
in Switzerland, I little thought of the events
the Fates were weaving, and which, I suppose,
have not left unaffected any individual destiny
either in Europe or in the whole world. It
was a bright and sunny morning, with a light
cool breeze, upon which we congratulated our-
selves in view of the crossing of that narrow
but often uncomfortable strip of sea isolating
us from the great continent at hand. Nothing,
so far, to warn us of any impending upheaval.
The sea was blissfully asleep, enveloped in a
2
2 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
golden haze ; and Paris as ga}^, nonchalant,
and unsuspecting of any approaching danger,
as a child at play.
The papers which reached me, however, on
arrival at Thoune, interfered somewhat with
the first enjoyment of mountain and lake. I
remember watching, one afternoon on the lake,
the gathering of a storm over the Interlaken
valley, the mists sweeping up the lower slopes
of the mountains to unite with the gloomy,
threatening clouds above, the whole rent by
sudden forked flashes and resonating peals.
Was it a counterpart of what was happening in
the politically surcharged atmosphere of Europe ?
I knew the German Government had long
since planned war to hasten and to crown their
country's hitherto peaceful economic penetra-
tion abroad. Her military writers had treated
us to an exposition of the ways and means
by which world dominion could be secured ;
and her diplomats and intellectuals had been
at much pains to secretly enlighten their own
people as to the meaning of the " Welt-politik "
they were so fond of proclaiming. In England,
individual lucubrations such as these would,
in the natural order of things, be set aside as
of no special import ; but in Germany, where
every class was drilled and schooled to the
idea of " Deutschland uber alles," did they not
INTRODUCTORY 3
foreshadow a national, even racial impulse,
gathering force as it developed ?
Personally, I had all the less reason for antici-
pating airy sudden upheaval, as I had just
assisted in London (February-March, 1914) at
a Conference between representatives of British
navigation interests and German delegates of
the Bagdad Railwajr Company and the Deutsche
Bank, with the object of establishing the relative
positions of our respective interests, in so far as
the navigation of the Mesopotamian rivers was
concerned. Daily, even twice daily, sittings
were solemnly carried on, with but one interrup-
tion of a week to allow the German delegates
to refer to Berlin for further instructions. About
the end of February a final understanding
was actually reached, and embodied in an
Agreement duly initialed previous to ratification.
These meetings received a good deal of publicity
at the time, and I only refer to them in view
of certain features which appear of psycho-
historical value, as further revealing German
character and mentality.
The members taking part in the proceedings
(presided over by a member of the Foreign
Office) represented the several interests involved,
and in addition Herr v. Kuhlmann, then Coun-
sellor of the German Embassy in London, attended
as representative of German diplomacy. It
4 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
was the first time I had met Herr v. Kuhlmann,
and I had no experience, therefore, of his out-
look or mentality. His attitude was curiously
interesting and ambiguous. He intervened
but seldom in the debates, though, when he
did, it was to throw oil on troubled waters and
expedite the business on hand, whilst his remarks
showed a certain grasp of the questions at issue,
which were mostly of a very detailed nature.
The general impression he made upon me,
however, was one of supreme boredom on his
part. His attitude may be described as one
of supercilious tolerance and indifference, which
puzzled me at the time, but which, in the light
of subsequent events, becomes perfectly clear
and natural. As an official in the confidence
of the German Foreign Office, he was doubtless
aware of the intentions of his Government
with regard to coming events.
It is now known as an established fact that,
at the Imperial Conference summoned at Potsdam,
on July 5, 1914, at which representatives of
German Diplomacy, the Army and Navy, the
great Banks, and well-known captains of industry
took part, a final decision was taken in favour
of war. Mr. Morgenthau, the American Ambas-
sador at Constantinople, gives an account of
this Conference as related to him by Baron
Wangenheim, his German colleague ; and on
INTRODUCTORY 5
the subject of the question of responsibility for
the war, writes as follows : " My conclusions as
to the c responsibility ' are not based on suspicion
or belief or the study of circumstantial data.
I do not have to reason or argue about the
matter. I know. The conspiracy that caused
this greatest of human tragedies was hatched
by the Kaiser and his Imperial crew at this
Potsdam Conference, on July 5, 1914." Every
leader and captain of industry evidently had
his orders to be in readiness for war, as the result
of the decision of the 5th of July. That Herr v.
Kuhlmann, like others, had confidential infor-
mation of what was maturing, admits, I believe,
of little doubt ; and the negotiations at the
Foreign Office for the regulation of so small an
affair as the navigation of the Mesopotamian
rivers, when compared with the issues of peace
and war, must indeed have appeared to him
as farcical and particularly boring, given his
knowledge of their probable aim and purpose.
Just as the departure of the Kaiser on his yacht
for Norway after the Potsdam Conference was
calculated to give the Chancellories of Europe
a feeling of confidence, so the meetings in London
must have been calculated to lull our Foreign
Office into a sense of security.
The general tension during the last few days
of July brought to my mind a conversation
6 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
I had had with Colonel Trench, our former
Military Attache in Berlin, in the summer of
1912, the memory of which did not serve to
minimize my growing uneasiness. I had, at
the time, just read works by Bernhardi and
Naumann, in which the question of Germany's
future is argued in the frankest possible manner ;
in so frank a manner, indeed, and with so little
attempt at concealment, that both authors had
been classed by outside critics as hot-heads
and fire-brands, in the belief that they, like
others of similar tendencies, were unsupported
by the more level-headed and responsible leaders
of German policy. Some colour was lent to
this view by articles appearing simultaneously
in the German Press, specially written, as
the sequel revealed, for foreign consumption,
setting forth that this militant school was led
by extremists who should not be taken seriously.
Now, Colonel Trench had had unusual oppor-
tunities of weighing in the balance the value of
the influence exercised by these so-called " ex-
tremists." His linguistic accomplishments and
attractive personality had made him a persona
grata at the German Court, and had given
him ample facilities for approaching men of
every cast of thought. He had, moreover, seen
service in South Africa with the German Expedi-
tionary Force during the Herero campaign, and
INTRODUCTORY 7
had thus obtained a near view of the German
military machine and German methods of
thought.
I, therefore, seized the opportunity of sounding
him on the subject of Bernhardi and similar
authors, and asked whether they represented
in his opinion an extremist, or general, view of
thought in Germany. He replied that the
views they held were now the common property
of all the thinking portion of the community,
and even of the great majority of their country-
men, whether articulate or inarticulate. Their
very bluntness had led to their being discounted
abroad, but none the less Germany practically
throughout had been inoculated with the microbe
of world-dominion madness and stood solid
behind the Military Party. He then added
what, at the time, seemed a very bold statement.
He said: " You will see that we shall be at war
with Germany not later than September, 1914.
The Germans have fixed on that date as the
most favourable for their purposes. By then
their final preparations will be completed, and
they cannot or will not wait, for were they
to do so they would be giving time to Russia
to complete the strategic railways she has in
contemplation, and they are determined to
forestall her railway programme."
I met Colonel Trench again in the summer
8 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
of 1913, and referring to our conversation of
1912, adduced arguments then popular in England
showing what enormous risks, dynastic as well
as economic, the Kaiser would be taking by
casting German prosperity into the melting-pot
of war ; whereas, if left to proceed steadily
on her present path, she might achieve world
dominion in an economic sense. He brushed
aside these arguments on the ground that the
German ideal was not based on economic dominion
alone, and that such dominion would not satisfy
the War Party, who counted on a military
success redounding to their credit and that
of the Army. He added that every nerve was
being strained in anticipation of the " Great
Day," and repeated the statement he made in
1912, " that we should be at war with Germany
in September, 1914." Was this prophecy to
prove correct ? It certainly looked like it to
any one endeavouring to read between the
lines of the news pouring in.
I decided to wire to my wife, who was with
Russian relatives, taking the cure at Contrexeville,
to hurry on to Switzerland direct. She had
just written to say that they proposed making
a detour to Switzerland via Colmar and the
Black Forest, by automobile. Indeed, as it
appeared later, they were about to engage a
car, and had actually made all necessary arrange-
INTRODUCTORY 9
ments to that end. Fortunately, my wire
arrived just in time, else I fear to face the thought
of what might have been the consequences
had they been caught in Germany when war
was declared about a week later. As it was,
my wife and her party arrived safely at Thoune,
escaping the French mobilization by a day
or two.
On England's declaration of war, I decided
to return home at once, and went to Berne
to secure passports and, if needful, letters of
recommendation. To my great pleasure, I
found Sir (then Mr.) Evelyn Grant Duff in
charge of the British Legation as H.M.'s Minister
to the Swiss Confederation. We had been
colleagues many years before (1893-1895), he
as Secretary, I as Military Attache, at the
British Legation in Teheran, Persia, where we
had worked, and spent several most enjoyable
years together. Mr. Grant Duff informed me
of his urgent need of a Military Attache, Colonel
Granet, appointed in that capacity to both
Italy and Switzerland, being detained in Rome,
and so not available at the time at Berne.
Mr. Grant Duff proposed wiring, therefore, to
ask for my appointment, even if only provision-
ally. With the glad feeling that I might once
more be of service to my country, I accepted
his kind offer with the greatest alacrity. The
10 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
answer to Mr. Grant Duff's telegram arriving
a few days later in an affirmative sense, I pro-
ceeded to Berne, on August 11, 1914, accompanied
by my wife and daughter, to take up my new
duties.
When establishing ourselves at the Bernerhof
Hotel, I had little idea it would prove our
residence for four consecutive }^ears !
CHAPTER II
CONDITIONS IN SWITZERLAND ON THE OUT-
BREAK OF WAR— THE SWISS ARMY
ON my arrival in Berne, I found an un-
usual state of affairs. The Minister and
members of his Staff were being besieged by
thousands of British visitors in Switzerland
clamouring to return to England, every one
of whom had to be provided with a special
permit or passport. The same thing was hap-
pening in a minor degree at the American
Legation, where the American Minister and his
Staff, like ourselves, had to face the question
of difficulty of transport through France and
across the Channel.
There were some eight thousand British sub-
jects derelict in Switzerland, many of whom,
besides, had momentarily exhausted their
financial resources. Mobilization was taking
place both in France and Switzerland, and
the amount of rolling-stock available for through
transit was extremely limited, so that it was
clear that many of these visitors would have
11
12 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
to remain in Switzerland for a certain length
of time.
At this juncture, the Swiss hotel proprietors
behaved in a very public-spirited manner. The
Swiss banks, owing to the financial crisis tempo-
rarily supervening, were unable to cash cheques
on England, with the result that visitors, willing
as they might be, could not, in many cases,
settle their hotel accounts before departure.
Realizing the situation, the hotel proprietors
not only declared their readiness to accept
deferred payment, but further offered their
British clientele the use of their hotels for as
long as necessary. This attitude on the part
of the proprietors at a moment of extreme
difficulty not only reflects credit on themselves,
but is one on which our national pride may
dwell with pleasure, since it makes clear the
confidence inspired by the British visitor abroad.
The financial situation was further complicated
by the fact that ready money was practically
unobtainable, H.M.'s Minister himself being
only allowed by his own bank to draw frs. 50
per week. A solution, however, was soon
happily found in a provision in the regulations
of the Swiss National Bank to the effect " that
if gold be deposited at an authorized centre,
the Bank might issue notes against such gold."
At the request of the Minister, H.M.'s Govern-
THE SWISS ARMY 13
merit desposited £25,000 at the Swiss Bankverein
in London, upon which the Swiss National
Bank opened an equivalent credit in notes
in favour of the Minister at Berne. Mr. Grant
Duff was thus enabled to issue cash in exchange
for cheques, and so facilitate the return of
stranded British visitors.
Mr. G. P. Skipworth, the representative in
Berne of the Westinghouse Brake Company, volun-
teered to undertake the detailed work in con-
nection with this transportation, which, as a
matter of fact, lasted over two months. It
suffices to say that it was no light matter to
assemble parties of three to four hundred
visitors scattered all over Switzerland, and to
see them safely off to their satisfaction, if not
comfort, whenever through conveyance could
be placed at their disposal by the Swiss and
French authorities.
Mr. Skipworth was, later on, appointed
Assistant Commercial Attache to the British
Legation in Switzerland, a post he still happily
occupies.
On taking up my duties in Berne, I made the
acquaintance of the heads of the Military and
Political Departments, of my Allied colleagues,
and also of the Commander-in-Chief of the
Swiss Army — General Ulrich Wille — and his
Staff.
14 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
Based on the territorial system, the Swiss
Army, in times of peace, possesses no officer
of the rank of General ; but on occasions of
emergency, the appointment of a General as
Commander-in-Chief is at once proceeded with.
His choice finally rests with the Federal
Assembly. The powers vested in him are of a
very comprehensive nature ; so comprehensive
indeed during this war as to cause no little
alarm among some sections of the community.
In the emergency created by the declarations of
war in August, 1914, the choice of a General
Commander-in-Chief lay between Colonel Ulrich
Wille, a citizen of the Canton of Zurich, married
to a member of the Bismarck family, and Colonel
Sprecher v. Bernegg, a citizen of the Canton
of the Grisons, married to a member of the
family of Von Billow ; and it was some time
before the Government finally declared itself
in favour of the former, appointing Colonel
Sprecher v. Bernegg as his Chief of Staff.
With my Allied colleagues, Colonels Pageot,
Gourko, and Golovane, the French and Russian
Military Attaches, I maintained the most pleasant
relations, and our mutual frank co-operation
under sympathetic conditions will ever remain
one of my most cherished memories. Colonel
Gourko is the son of the Field Marshal Gourko
(later Governor-General of Poland), of Shipka
THE SWISS ARMY 15
Pass fame. He had seen much active service,
and is said to have received more wounds than
any other officer in the Russian Army. Ever
anxious to find himself in the trenches, he
succeeded in returning to Russia in 1915, where
he fought on several fronts until disabled by
wounds, from which I am glad to know he again
made a good recovery. Since the Revolution
in Russia, he, like so many others, has given
no sign of himself, and I have heard nothing
further of him. Colonel Pageot returned to
the Western Front in 1916, in command of a
regiment, and greatly distinguished himself,
receiving the " Croix de Guerre avec Palmes,"
a distinction which gave much pleasure to his
former colleagues in Berne.
Prior to my departure from Thoune, I had
been witness to the mobilization of the Swiss
Army, and was much impressed by the smooth-
ness with which that operation was conducted.
There is nothing which touches more profoundly
the life of each individual citizen than the
exigencies of the defence of his country. Obliga-
tory service has always been at the basis of the
life of the Swiss people from the early dawn
of their national history. The primitive cantons,
even before 1290, were persuaded of the import-
ance of a preparation for war, a persuasion
which succeeding centuries have done much to
16 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
develop and strengthen. The very first cantonal
pacts laid stress on the dispositions regarding
military organization, and as early as 1476,
the Confederates placed contingents in the
field numbering 50,000 fighting men.
The principle of universal service as adapted
to present day requirements finds a willing
acceptance amongst a people whose instincts,
though ultra-democratic, make them realize
that their independence rests on the attitude
of the Confederation vis-a-vis of her powerful,
and sometimes aggressive, neighbours. I have
never in my experience of Switzerland heard
a word of complaint of the burden borne by the
State owing to the obligation entailed by universal
service, though anger is deeply felt for the
sacrifices imposed upon the country due to
the ambitions of those responsible for the Great
War.
On the outbreak of war the Confederation
manifested their determination to maintain
neutrality as against all comers, and, by the
mobilization of some 300,000 men, made
clear to the belligerents their strength of
purpose.
The following table1 gives a resume of the
gradual evolution of the military organization
1 From L'Armee Suisse, by Colonel C. H. Egli, Colonel
d'Etat-Major General, 1913.
THE SWISS ARMY
17
from the point of view of numbers legislated
for at different periods : —
Year.
Elite.
Reserve.
Landwehr.
Landsturrn
and Comple-
mentary
Services.
Total
Effectives.
1640
—
—
—
—
36,000
1782
—
—
—
—
63,697
1817
33,758
33,748
—
—
67,506
1850
69,569
34,785
—
—
104,354
1874
105,368
—
97,012
—
202,380
1899
148,435
—
87,290
275,596
511,321
1911
142,054
—
69,513
275,284
486,851
The Army is now composed of the whole
of the fit male population between the ages of
20 to 48 ; the Elite being drawn from men of
the ages of 20 to 32 years, the Landwehr from
33 to 40 years, the Landsturrn from 41 to 48
years. The effectives increase from year to
year with the increase of population. As regard
instruction, the training of the infantry recruit
lasts 65 days, of the cavalry 90 days, of the
artillery 75 days, per annum. Repetition courses
for the trained soldier take place annually,
and vary, according to the branch of the service,
from eleven to fourteen days. The Landwehr
has a " repetition course " once every four
18 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
years. The Landsturm is only occasionally
called up for a few days at a time at long
intervals.
According to Colonel Egli, the expenditure
for military purposes for the year 1911 amounted
in all to frs. 44,777,894, being 25*9 per cent,
of the revenue of the country. The fact that
Switzerland is able to maintain a force of nearly
half a million men at an expenditure of less
than £2,000,000 sterling speaks for itself. The
war has, of course, added greatly to the annual
Budget. The additional expenditure from 1914
to 1918, owing to mobilization, extra material,
higher rates of pay and living, etc., form no
small part of the accumulated deficit of the
country, which cannot be far short of £40,000,000
sterling, and is steadily increasing.
The Military Regulations are so framed as
to interfere in the least possible degree with
the civil life of the soldier, and yet, despite
the shortness of training, a very fair state of
efficiency is reached and maintained.
The Corps of Officers is highly educated, and
embraces in its ranks all the best brains of the
country. It receives its military instruction
at special military schools.
A valuable adjunct to the training of the
rank and file is supplied by the Shooting Clubs,
of which thousands exist, and as shooting is
THE SWISS ARMY 19
the one national sport, this important branch
of instruction receives special attention.
The disorganization which immediately re-
sulted in the economic and industrial life of
Switzerland on the outbreak of war, became
a matter of great concern to the Government,
who, under their first impression of the World
War, feared that economic ruin might become
inevitable. It looked as though the business
of the hotels, in which enormous capital has
been invested, would cease to exist, whilst
the future of hundreds of thousands of skilled
artisans and mechanics would be imperilled.
Foreign markets would certainly find their
purchasing power greatly reduced, and there
was every likelihood of a shortage in the half-
finished products received from Germany and
Austria, which finally reached foreign markets
after receiving at the hands of the Swiss workmen
that finish which gave them so great a part
of their value. The future was painted in the
blackest of colours, but the outcome has differed
greatly from the first crude picture.
Never in the history of the peasant have
such large profits been made as during the last
four years. The hotel industry has no doubt
been crippled, but it has been kept alive by
the not inconsiderable influx of wealthy refugees
from Central Europe and neutral countries,
20 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
and the hospitalization of some 30,000 French,
British, Belgian, and German Interned prisoners
of war. The watch and clock, automobile,
electric, and other mechanical industries, have
made good by devoting their attention to the
manufacture of munitions or other war requisites,
in which the exceptional skill of the Swiss artisan
has proved of inestimable worth. The dye
industry has been developed to such an extent,
that Switzerland may confidently expect to
retain a portion of this trade in competition
with Germany in the future.
The war will, I would fain believe and hope,
have given !o Swiss economics an elasticity
and adaptability of which they stood in need,
and from many points of view will not have
proved that unmixed evil foreseen by her
pessimists under the influence of their first
fears.
German industrial circles have watched this
development with misgivings, and are busily
taking precautionary measures to turn it to
their advantage by the loan of capital, by the
infiltration of expert management into all those
concerns in which they foresee rivalry, and
often by the purchase outright of commercial
undertakings likely to be useful in supplementing
the work of the Fatherland in the economic
struggle it will have to face after the war.
THE SWISS ARMY 21
It is a matter of common knowledge that
sympathies in Switzerland were divided at the
outbreak of hostilities, the French and Italian
speaking cantons having a decided bias in favour
of the Allies, and the German cantons one in
favour of the other side. After the early successes
of the Germans, the opinion was generally held
that Germany would press the war to a con-
clusion so rapidty, that England would not
be able to make her weight felt in time to avert
a calamity. Swiss military circles, however,
did not wholly share this view, as the following
account of a conversation, which in August,
1914, I had with a well-known Swiss officer
of standing shows. This conversation appeared
to me at the time all the more interesting as
my informant was a Professor of Military History,
and, judging by his name, might have been
expected to have his views coloured by German
sympathies. He spoke in the following sense : —
" Now that England has thrown in her lot with
France and Russia, the combination will probably
be too great for Germany and her Allies, but
the struggle will be a bitter one. Remember
the Seven Years' War, and what Prussia was
capable of in opposition to a host of enemies.
You mil have many surprises ; Switzerland,
however, will welcome the weakening of German}^,
provided she is not completely crushed. A
22 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
weakening of Germany would be useful to us
Swiss, for we see a great danger to ourselves
in the economic dominance she is obtaining
in our country. Any relaxation in that respect
will be to our advantage."
The events of the last four years have done
much to change feeling in the German-speaking
cantons, inasmuch as the invasion of Belgium,
the employment of poison gas, the sinking of
the Lusitania, the brutality of the submarine
campaign, the destruction of Serbia, the harsh-
ness shown to Roumania, have made an unfavour-
able impression on all classes of the population.
German propaganda has also thoroughly awak-
ened the country to the danger it was incurring
from the stranglehold which German financiers
and industrials were establishing upon her
economic life.
The revolutionary fiasco in Russia also, in
no small degree, affected public opinion. As
a republican nation possessed with the ideal
of the rights of smaller nations to dispose of
themselves, they feared and abhorred the
Russian form of government as represented
by Czarism ; and this, no doubt, had a good
deal to do with the way in which they regarded
Germany as a protector and a bulwark against
the submergence of Europe by a Slav wave.
That danger now removed, the}' probably feel
THE SWISS ARMY 23
Germany's support may be more easily dispensed
with ; and with a weakened Germany they
foresee the possibility of re-organizing their
economic life free from the trammels of an
overbearing neighbour. The crushing of Ger-
many, however, would, they think, mean
economic ruin to them ; and at this they draw
the line.
CHAPTER III
PRELIMINARY NEGOTIATIONS IN CONNECTION
WITH THE REPATRIATION AND INTERN-
MENT OF PRISONERS OF WAR
IN the early autumn of 1915 I came to London
in connection with certain details of work
in Switzerland. During this visit I had the
pleasure of meeting Lord Kitchener for the
first and, alas ! for the last time. I had received
orders to report myself to him at the War Office,
and at the appointed hour, punctual to the minute,
a member of his Staff informed me that he was
ready to see me. Lord Kitchener received me
very cordially, and plunging into business at
once, said he wished to hear my views concerning
certain matters dealing with the prospective
internment of British prisoners of war in
Switzerland, regarding which there was some
uncertainty at Headquarters. He then proceeded
to give me his own views with some emphasis
and at considerable length. After hearing,
in answer, what I had to say, he remarked : —
" What you tell me is most interesting. You
24
PRELIMINARY NEGOTIATIONS 25
have treated the question at an entirely different
angle ; I had no idea of the Swiss point of view,
and am glad to know that it confirms my own.
I will get you in a shorthand clerk, to whom you
can dictate what you have just told me. It can
then be signed before 3^ou leave. I shall be
seeing the Cabinet this afternoon, and will
present your statement to them." On my
suggesting he would have a more carefully
compiled statement if I could quietly prepare
it, he said : " No, I want it at once ; the sooner
I get it the better." In an hour's time the
statement was in his hands. I know not whether
the method adopted by Lord Kitchener in this
interview was characteristic of him, but from
that standpoint it may be worth recording.
My general impression was that of an imposing
personal^ and a great driving force, full of
vitalitjr and youth. His manner was altogether
charming, and I can well imagine him to have
inspired enthusiasm amongst those brought into
close contact with him.
Whether this interview had anything at all
to do with my later appointment is problematic ;
but at the end of December, 1915, after a tenure
of eighteen months of the Military Attacheship,
I was relieved by Colonel Wyndham, 60th
Rifles, who had seen service and been wounded
in France, and on May 14, 1916, I was appointed
26 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
" Officer in charge of the arrangements for
the British Interned in Switzerland."
The first idea of internment of prisoners
of war in a neutral country appears to have
been suggested by Monsieur Louis de Tscharner
in the Swiss Press nearly a year before the
outbreak of war. In an article dated September,
1913, the writer suggested, curiously enough,
the conclusion of a Convention between Switzer-
land and the neighbouring States relative to
internment, though why or how the idea happened
to occur to him does not appear. He proposed
that these States should engage themselves to
respect Swiss neutrality, and to provision her
during the period of war, whilst Switzerland
should, in exchange, take charge of the wounded,
and, upon their return to health, restore them
to their countries of origin. This new and
interesting suggestion became the subject of
numerous articles and was much discussed at
the time, but the conclusion of a bargain, with
a view to obtaining respect for Swiss neutrality
in exchange for services rendered, was not
agreeable to Swiss national pride, and the subject
was allowed to drop.
The following preliminary negotiations embrace
two distinct questions : Direct Repatriation
and Internment in Switzerland, which, in the
process, intersect each other. I give them,
therefore, in chronological order.
PRELIMINARY NEGOTIATIONS 27
Shortly after the outbreak of hostilities, the
question of the direct repatriation of prisoners
of war was brought forward by the Swiss Federal
Council at the instance of the International
Committee of the Swiss Red Cross, and the
French and German Governments were addressed
with a view to a direct exchange of such wounded
prisoners as could no longer be made available
for military service (" grands blesses "). A similar
proposal also emanated from the Holy See
which did much to promote an understanding
between these Governments, and an agreement
was reached in February, 1915, as a result of
which between March, 1915, and November,
1916, 2,343 German and 8,668 French "grands
blesses" were transported through Switzerland
to their own countries.
No sooner had this repatriation of the " grands
blesses " commenced, than the idea of intern-
ment in Switzerland was revived, and in January,
1915, Monsieur Ador, the venerable President
of the International Committee of the Red
Cross, approached Monsieur Millerand, the
French Minister of War, on the subject. He
suggested the advisability of hospitalizing in
Switzerland prisoners " petits blesses," wounded
or suffering in a less degree than the " grands
blesses " ; all those, in short, who might benefit
bv the care thev would receive at the hands
28 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
of his Government. His suggestion was favour-
ably received, and conversations at once ensued
between the Federal Council and the French
and German diplomatic representatives at
Berne, with more special reference to men
suffering from tuberculosis.
These conversations had originally in view
the internment of Officers and N.C.Os. only.
It was not till May, 1915, that the men came
also into question. At that date, le Comte
Charles Santucci, Envoy of the Holy See,
submitted a project to the Federal Council
at Berne suggesting that the scope of the
internment should be broadened, so as to include
all ranks, whether Officers, N.C.Os., or men;
and not only the tuberculous, but numerous
other categories of sick and wounded. He had
in view always an equal number of either side.
The Council declared its readiness to devote
itself to the realization of this enlarged pro-
gramme, and thereupon opened negotiations
with the interested Governments. These were
both long and delicate. The first difficulty
which presented itself concerned the guardian-
ship of the Interned. The Council were averse
to the immobilization of a part of their forces
for that purpose, and asked what guarantee
the captor State would have that its prisoners
would not seek an early opportunity for escape.
PRELIMINARY NEGOTIATIONS 29
This difficulty was settled by the Council, who
made the proposal that the belligerent States
should agree to return to Switzerland all pri-
soners of war who might escape to their own
countries, and a settlement was agreed upon
in this sense.
The next point for decision was as to the
numbers of the Interned ; on what basis was
this to be established ? Should it be on the
principle of rank for rank and head for head,
or be based on categories of disablement without
regard to equality of number ? France showed
itself favourable to the latter principle, Germany
to the former. It was only in the month of
October, 1915, that Germany declared itself
in accord with the project for internment, but
refused to admit the principle of categories,
and maintained its view as regards the equality
of numbers.
In November, Mgr. Marchetti, Delegate of
the Holy See, with a view to inspiring confidence
in Germany in the principle of the categories,
intervened with the proposal that neutral Com-
missions of medical officers should proceed to
the camps and be made responsible for the
selection of the prisoners for internment. At
last, in December, an agreement was reached
between Switzerland, France, and Germany,
whereby the principle of categories without
30 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
regard to equality of numbers was accepted.
The establishment of neutral Commissions of
medical officers was also agreed upon.
At the end of December, Monsieur Hoffmann,
then President of the Swiss Confederation, posed
the question of the internment of civilians,
and made a proposition in this sense which
was favourably received.
In January, 1916, the Chief of the Swiss
Political Department was able to announce to
the Federal Council that the negotiations on
the subject of the " petits blesses " had reached
a practical result, and the Department made
a proposal for the immediate internment of
1,000 Germans and 1,000 French by way of
trial. The tuberculous were to come first, but
if these numbers were not reached, then the
balance was to be made up with the sick of
other categories. The organization and direction
of the internment was placed in the hands
of Colonel Hauser, principal medical officer of
the Swiss Army, and on the 12th of January',
1916, that officer was able to announce the
creation of a special branch of the sanitary
service, with a central office at Berne, for intern-
ment purposes.
Already, by February 14, 883 French, in-
cluding 104 officers, and 364 Germans, including
7 officers, had reached Switzerland, and had
PRELIMINARY NEGOTIATIONS 31
been located in the regions of Montana, Leysin,
and the Quatre-Cantons, etc. These first arrivals
had been designated by doctors of the captor
States, and after a further examination at
Lyons and Constance by a Control Commission,
had been definitely nominated and passed on
to Switzerland.
Although in agreement on the principle of
Internment, two points of capital importance
yet remained to be fixed : —
1. The list of disabilities on which the intern-
ment was to be based.
2. The organization of the Itinerant Com-
missions of Swiss doctors, whose duty it was
to visit France and Germany and designate
candidates for internment.
With regard to 1, the first list of 12 categories
drawn up in January, 1916, was increased to
20 categories in February. In June and July,
1916, the list was again the subject of discussion
by an International Conference at Berne, and
the categories were then finally fixed at 18.
With regard to 2, the proposals made by the
Council for the appointment of ten Sanitarj-
Commissions for each country, composed of
two Swiss doctors reinforced by a third, an
officer of the captor States, who should have
the place of President, with power to examine
and designate prisoners for despatch to Lyons
32 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
or Constance, as the case might be, for a final
inspection by a Board of Control, was accepted
by the French and German diplomatic repre-
sentatives at Berne, in February, 1916. On
the 21st of February the Political Department
announced the approaching departure of the
Itinerant Commissions.
On the termination of these negotiations,
the Swiss Government invited Great Britain
and Germany to become parties thereto, offering
to give the same hospitality to their prisoners
of war as to those of France and Germany.
This offer was accepted, and in May, 1916,
the agreement, as drawn up between France
and Germany, was also made applicable to
Great Britain and Germany.
No time was lost in carrying out the intentions
foreshadowed. Already, in March, 1916, the
first Itinerant Swiss Commissions set out on
their visit to the camps in France and Germany,
and during March, April, and May, were busily
engaged in examining such prisoners as were
said to be suffering from the disabilities set
forth in the various categories.
By the time I reached Berne on the 14th of
May, 1916, to take up my duties as " Officer in
charge of British Interned in Switzerland," the
work of these Commissions was drawing to a
close, and Colonel Hauser (Chief Medical Officer,
PRELIMINARY NEGOTIATIONS 33
Swiss Army) informed me of the concentration
at Lyons and Constance of French, German,
and Belgian prisoners of war who had been
designated by the Itinerant Commissions for
further examination by the Boards of Control
at those places. Amongst these were several
hundred British officers and men, and he suggested
that he might effect their transfer from Constance
to Switzerland within a fortnight, if it were
possible for me to be in readiness for them ;
otherwise they must await their turn, which
would not come until a month later. The
alternative decided me to close with the offer,
and to make what arrangements I could in the
few days at my disposal.
The three most important questions to be
dealt with prior to the arrival of the men were
equipment, medical comforts, and choice of
localities.
As regards the equipment of the men, I had
already taken steps to ensure the despatch
from British Headquarters in France of every-
thing necessary, but owing to pressure on the
French railways, no positive assurances could
be given me as to the exact date of delivery.
Judging by the condition of those French and
Belgian prisoners who had already arrived in
Switzerland, I knew that the state of our men
would be equall}- deplorable, and I was anxious
4
34 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
that they should be able to exchange their
worn-out and probably vermin-infested garments
without any delay. It was only too likely,
also, that the first arrivals would consist of
the badly wounded and tuberculous, men who
would be in urgent need of sick and home
comforts — not that the Swiss would not have
all essential medicines and comforts at their
disposal, but they could not have in any abund-
ance the comforts and requisites familiar to
our soldiers.
Such being the conditions, I addressed myself
to the " British Legation Red Cross Organization,"
and was much relieved to find that Mrs. Grant
Duff had not only laid in stocks of medical
comforts, but had prepared her staff for any
sudden call I might make upon her for under-
clothing or hospital garments. The various
groups in Switzerland forming part of her
organization were set to work, and within the
fortnight sufficient underclothing was made
up to meet the requirements of 500 men,
and hospital garments for 200 sick. As
it turned out, the regulation kit was delivered
just in time to have it ready for issue, so that
the men were outfitted from head to foot on
arrival, the fullest use being made of the Red
Cross clothing.
I had in the interval visited the camps at
PRELIMINARY NEGOTIATIONS 35
Chateau d'Oex and Leysin. I was met at
Chateau d'Oex by the Swiss military and civil
authorities, great pleasure being manifested
by both at the prospect of entertaining British
troops. This health resort is too well known
to need any description. It suffices to say
that it is situated at an altitude of 1,066 metres
in one of the most beautiful valleys of Switzer-
land, and has a reputation as a sports centre
second only to that of Gstaad, a few hundred
feet higher in the same valley. The near
proximity to the Lake of Geneva, with which
it is in touch by means of a mountain railway,
makes it a favourite resort of Swiss and foreign
visitors. Excellent accommodation had already
been bespoken by Captain Dr. de la Chaux
(Swiss Army), who had been appointed to take
charge of the camp, all the smaller hotels and
pensions being reserved for our officers and men.
Unfortunately, no hotel sufficiently large to
accommodate all the officers under one roof was
available, as the two main hotels, the " Grand "
and the " Rosat," had expressed their inability
to lodge officers at the regulation price of frs. 6
per diem. Their managers very naturally
preferred to cater for the better paying visitor.
Apart from this, no exception could be taken
to the class of accommodation provided.
Having satisfied myself of the suitability of
36 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
Chateau d'Oex, with its outlying villages of
Rougemont and Rossinieres, as a camping place
for the Interned, I now passed on to Leysin
via Montreux and the Rhone Valle}^ and mounting
up by its electric railway, reached the beautiful
plateau of meadow lands, on which so many
hotels and chalets have been built expressly
for the treatment of consumptives. A medical
staff of distinguished specialists is maintained
there in association with the hotels, the organiza-
tion as a whole being that of a combined huge
hospital. In peace time it is crowded with
patients from all quarters of the globe, but
at the time of my visit very few civilians remained,
and the doctors were busily engaged in adapting
its resources to the use of its new military
clientele. The doctors had donned their uniforms
as officers of the Swiss Army, and the place
was rapidly assuming the aspect of a small
garrison town. Many of the hotels were already
occupied by French and Belgian soldiers, of
whom, sad to say, there were already 1,200
in hospital. Swiss soldiers were also in evidence,
and I here became aware for the first time of
the fact that the Swiss as a people are far from
being immune to tuberculosis.
Arrangements were already being made for
the accommodation of 200 British officers and
men, Colonel Hauser having calculated that
PRELIMINARY NEGOTIATIONS 37
about that number of consumptives would be
likely to arrive with the first party of British.
No one could pass through Leysin without
being impressed, as I was, by the beauty of the
surroundings, the detailed perfection of its
organization, and the purposeful construction
of its hotels and chalets built so as to receive
every ray of sunshine. Nothing struck me so
much as the optimistic spirit which appeared
to prevail amongst all classes of the sick alike ;
every one seemed easily moved to joy and
laughter, read}^ to amuse and be amused, and
I left with the feeling that of all people none
were so brave as the patients of Leysin. Where
this spirit prevailed, our men could not help
but thrive, and any anxiety I may have had
on their account was completely dispelled by my
first visit to this sanatorium.
345427
CHAPTER IV
RED CROSS ORGANIZATIONS IN SWITZERLAND
—THE BRITISH LEGATION RED CROSS
ORGANIZATION
ON the outbreak of war, the attention of
various Swiss charitable societies was at
once concentrated on work connected with the
provision of comforts, clothing, and necessaries
for the large body of Swiss citizens who were
withdrawn from civil employment to take their
place in the Army. Amongst the best known
of these societies were : — " La Croix Rouge,"
" La Societe Suisse le Bien du Soldat," " Les
Unions Chretiennes des Jeunes Gens de la
Suisse," " La Ligue Pro-Captivis," " La Societe*
Suisse des Aumoniers," " La Societe du Mogen
David Rouge."
Around these societies local branches rallied
all over the country ; and, as the war progressed,
and the needs of the belligerent nations gradually
came to light, they extended their field of interest
so as to embrace the pressing needs of French
civilians from the occupied regions of Northern
S3
RED CROSS ORGANIZATIONS 39
France, interned prisoners of war, and hospitals
in France and Germany. The work of the
" International Red Cross Society of Geneva " is
too well known to need more than a passing
reference here. It would require a volume to
describe the immensity and importance of its
labours.
As many British visitors, delayed at Berne
owing to difficulties of transport, were anxious
to show their appreciation of the courtesy
extended to them by the Swiss during their
enforced residence in the country, Lady Grant-
Duff (then Mrs. Grant Duff), the wife of H.M.'s
Minister, assembled working parties at the
Legation for the purpose of assisting the Swiss
Red Cross, and the results of the first series
of these working parties were forwarded to
Madame Hoffmann, the wife of the then President
of the Swiss Confederation. It was not long,
however, before rumours of the dire straits
of the French wounded reached Switzerland.
The hospitals, it was said, were full to over-
flowing, and the nurses were at their wits' end
to find the simplest requisites for these first
victims of the war. The needs of the Allies
had, therefore, to be given first consideration,
and Lady Grant Duff sent out an invitation
to her countrymen in Switzerland to co-operate
with her in the provision of clothing and requi-
40 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
sites for these hospitals. The response was
immediate, and showed that every British man,
woman, and girl in the country was ready to
come to her assistance.
To give effect to this intention, the " British
Legation Red Cross Organization " was founded
by Lady Grant Duff at Berne, and around it
twelve groups, representing the chief centres
of British life, were affiliated. The Organization
was placed under the management of Lady
Grant Duff, with my daughter as her assistant.
The groups were left to their own devices as
regards their formation and character, and were
presided over by H.M.'s Consuls. Decentrali-
zation was carried to its extreme limit, each
centre undertaking responsibility as regards
local finance and administration, whilst Berne
reserved to itself the right of determining the
pattern and quality of the article required
from any one centre, at any given moment,
a system which tended to co-ordination, and
the specialization of each group in the class
of work for which it was fitted, by its relation
to the sources of supply and the aptitude of
its workers. The general output was forwarded
to Headquarters at Berne for examination,
storage, and final despatch to hospitals, both
French and British. There was a good deal
of friendly rivalry between the groups, and I
RED CROSS ORGANIZATIONS 41
remember Lady Grant Duff telling me that
she one day paid a surprise visit to a working
party and was met with the remark : " Is it
true that . . . makes better shirts than we
do ? " The answer given was : " Yes, per-
fectly true ; but then you make much better
pyjamas."
Berne, in short, acted as a clearing-house,
and was thus well equipped for meeting demands
requiring immediate attention. On one occasion
a traveller arrived unexpectedly from Boulogne
and notified at 6 p.m. that he would take a
consignment to France, provided it could be
ready for despatch by the 8.30 p.m. train of
the same day. The articles were packed and
deposited at the railway station by Lady Grant
Duff on her way out to dinner. Amongst the
many hospitals to which help was sent were
the " Hopitaux Milit aires " of Besancon, Pontar-
lier, Nancy, Aix-les-Bains, Nice, and others in
the Vosges. Bales of underclothing were also
consigned to the Canteen at Lyons for distri-
bution to the wounded ; to the Cardinal of
Rheims for distribution to that martyred city ;
and to the " ffiuvre des Eclopes " at Paris.
An interesting and important work was the
complete outfitting in underwear, dressing-gowns
and slippers of the " Urgency Case Hospital,"
a movable ambulance created and organized
42 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
by Miss Evelyn Eden, which commenced opera-
tions at Bar-le-Duc in 1915. Regular despatches
of hospital clothing and requisites were also
made to British hospitals at Boulogne, Calais,
and elsewhere. Another consignment was sent
at the special request of Lady Wemyss to a
hospital ship in the Mediterranean. As regards
British requirements in France, it was found
advisable to send bales to Paris, where they
were distributed by the late Sir Henry Austin
Lee, who gave himself infinite trouble in ar-
ranging for their transit to the most needy
hospitals.
As regards finance, the groups made it a point
of honour to collect funds to meet all local
expenses, and it was only on rare occasions
that help was demanded of Berne. The usual
machinery, such as bazaars, subscriptions, etc.,
was set in motion at each centre with satis-
factory results, and in the main the funds so
collected sufficed for all needs, a fact which
speaks well for the generosity of the public,
both British and Swiss.
Lady Rumbold took over the Presidency
from Lady Grant Duff in September, 1916,
and assumed direction for the duration of the
war. Both ladies would, I believe, like me
to place on record the names of the Group
Presidents, on whom the success of the enter-
RED CROSS ORGANIZATIONS
43
prise so much depended. Their wives in most
cases undertook the work of management : —
Berne .
Monsieur de Muralt (Central Group)
MONTREUX
Mr. and Mrs. Marcel Cuenod.
Vevey .
Lieut. -Colonel and Mrs. Gillespie.
Lausanne
Mr. and Mrs. Galland.
Geneva
Monsieur and Madame de Candolle.
Zurich . (1914)
Sir Henry Angst.
(1915-17)
Sir Cecil Hertzlett.
(1917-18)
Mr. and Mrs. Beak ; Miss Mackie,
Hon. Secretary.
Lucerne
Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Stronge, Mrs.
Hauser.
Lugano . (1914)
Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton.
(1916)
Colonel and Mrs. Boileau.
Bale . .(1914)
Mr. Hamblock.
(1915-17)
Mr. and Mrs. Beak.
(1917)
Mr. and Mrs. Mathews.
St. Gall
Mr. Hurdwyn Gastrell.
Neuchatel (1914)
Monsieur et Madame Chable.
(1916)
Monsieur Favre; Miss Wright,
Hon. Secretary.
Davos
Mr. and Mrs. Lockett.
St. Moritz
Dr. and Mrs. Holland.
I should also like to add the names of my
wife, who, as Hon. Treasurer, organized the
Financial Department at Berne as well as the
Supply Depot for the Interned ; Comtesse de
Montigny, in charge of the Clothing Depart-
ment, 1915-1917, and succeeded, later, by the
late Mrs. Cook Daniels and Lady Beatrix Wilkin-
son ; Viscountess St. Cyres, in charge of the
44 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
" orders " Department, 1917-1918 ; and my
daughter, who was Hon. Secretary, 1916-1918,
until her departure.
A " Special Branch," as an adjunct to the
" B.L.R.C.O.," was founded in May, 1916,
to deal with the requirements of officers and men
about to be interned in Switzerland, the original
Committee being composed of Lady Grant Duff,
The Lady Acton, Mrs. Picot (Hon. Treasurer),
Mrs. Wyndham, Mrs. Barton, Mrs. Trench,
Mrs. Harran, Miss R. Picot (Hon. Secretary),
and myself as President.
The first contingent of British prisoners of
war from Germany was expected in May, 1916,
and arrangements were at once made to prepare
warm underclothing for the men, as there was
some doubt as to the clothing from G.H.Q.
in France arriving in time to meet the demand.
The work carried out by the Consular Groups
made it possible to have in readiness complete
outfits of shirts, vests, pants, socks, pyjamas,
handkerchiefs, and linen wash-bags for 500
men, all of which were issued when the troops
arrived. Dressing - gowns, bed - jackets, ward
slippers, and handkerchiefs, were also made up
and issued to the hospitals. The contingents
which arrived in August and December of 1916,
and on subsequent dates, were supplied with
the regulation clothing by Government, though
RED CROSS ORGANIZATIONS 45
hospital requisites still continued to be provided
by the " B.L.R.C.O.," with the assistance of the
British Red Cross Society, London. That Society
generously came to our assistance with medicines,
and supplies of a fortifying nature, and such
extra articles of food as were required were
purchased locally by the Swiss medical officers
at the camps, money grants, which were renewed
as required, being made to these officers.
The " B.L.R.C.O." also fitted up an operating
theatre in the Soldanelle Hospital at Chateau
d'Oex, known as the Kitchener Theatre, at a
cost of frs. 3,500, the funds being supplied by
a Swiss gentleman who wished to remain anony-
mous.
Thanks to the kind offices of Lord Northcliffe,
the B.R.C.S., London, also sent out a parcel
of 750 lb. of tea every month, a gift of the greatest
value, as tea was unprocurable in Switzerland.
It was thus made possible to make a free issue
to all hospitals, and to men on detachment, and
also to provide tea, on payment, to all Red
Cross and Y.M.C.A. huts.
The expenditure incurred for British Interned
for Red Cross purposes from May to December,
1916, amounting to frs. 113,000, was entirely
met by the "B.L.R.C.O." After that date,
the " Central Prisoners of War Committee,"
London, came to our assistance with a grant
46 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
of frs. 10,000 per mensem. This grant
in aid enabled the Committee to deal more
liberally with a branch of work which they,
together with myself, had much at heart, viz. :
the technical and educational training of the
men during their detention in Switzerland. So
far, funds had only admitted of the establish-
ment of workshops of the regimental type,
such as Tailors, Bootmakers, Carpenters, in
addition to schools for Telegraphy, Bookbinding,
Typing, Shorthand, Motor Instruction, and
classes for education up to the standard required
for Army certificates. With the grant in aid
the Committee found itself in a position to
continue and develop the technical training,
until it was taken over by the Central Prisoners
of War Committee, under a scheme prepared
by Dr. Garnett. Of this scheme I have written
at length in Chapter XI.
Another detail undertaken by the " B.L.R.C.O."
was that of the entertainment of the wives
and mothers of the Interned sent out from
England by the " C.P. of W.C." on fortnightly
visits. This took the form of luncheons, dinners,
and teas, as these visitors passed to and from
the camps. They also provided meals at Berne
to all prisoners of war en route to Switzerland
from Germany, or to England on repatriation.
The Consular Groups forming part of the Organi-
RED CROSS ORGANIZATIONS 47
zation did similar work, and, as a rule, met the
expenditure from their own resources.
In January, 1918, on the appointment of
a Commissioner by the " B.R.C.S.," London,
to supervise and co-ordinate Red Cross work
in Switzerland, the " B.L.R.C.O." transferred
to that gentleman the special branch of their
work affecting interned prisoners, and all ex-
penses in that connection were thenceforth
met by the " B.R.C.S," London. The average
monthly expenditure thus incurred amounted
to frs. 22,000, the chief items of which were :
frs. 6,300 for medical comforts, frs. 10,000 for
technical training, and the balance for
miscellanea.
I have at the opening of this chapter referred
to the labours of the Swiss Red Cross and other
Swiss Societies, vis-a-vis of French civilians
and other victims of the war. Little appears
to be known in England of the extent and
importance of the work of these Societies.
Perhaps I can best give an idea of its scope and
character by recounting some of my personal
experiences.
On one occasion, at Zurich, I met a train
conveying French " grands blesses " released
from Germany. It was composed of third-
class carriages converted for Red Cross purposes
into a hospital train, and was staffed by military
48 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
doctors, nurses, and orderlies, of Swiss nationality,
assisted by ladies from the French Embassy
at Berne. These Swiss Red Cross trains cannot
be compared with the luxurious conveyances
maintained by us in France. At the same
time, they were thoroughly practical, and
appeared to meet all the requirements of the
sick. The men no doubt must have regarded
them as " trains de luxe," after their experience
of railway travel in Germany. What a picture
these wounded presented ! In one carriage there
were twenty-seven men with only three legs be-
tween them, but they were cheery, full of joy at
their escape from captivity, and very disinclined
to speak of their past experiences. These
they evidently sought to forget. One man,
whom I questioned as to some detail of German
camp life, replied that, on crossing the frontier,
he had turned over the page of his prison life,
and all memory of the past had left him — the
present was good enough, and was all he cared
to think about. Altogether they were quite
irrepressible, and the conclusion I came to was,
that the average French soldier has to be very
ill — even unto death — before his spirits succumb
to his physical condition. He has fortunately
the faculty of imparting his cheeriness and
philosophy to those around, so that a visit
under what might have been depressing circum-
RED CROSS ORGANIZATIONS 49
stances proved, on the contrary, exhilarating.
There were several cases of men in the last
stages of consumption, whose one anxiety was
to see the soil of their beloved France once more
before the end came. About these men the French
ladies were greatly concerned, and they could
only hope that this supreme consolation might
not be withheld from their dying compatriots.
Such attentions as these were by no means
confined to the French. Similar scenes occurred
whenever Allied or enemy prisoners were re-
patriated via Swiss territory. The services of the
Swiss Red Cross were more particularly brought
home to me when a part}^ of 70 British and
Indian soldiers, and 250 Serbian officers, arrived
from Austria. Our own men came under the
category of " grands blesses " ; the Serbians
were being exchanged, and were in good condition.
They were met by Sir Horace and Lady Rumbold,
my wife and daughter, and other members of
the Legation, who accompanied the train from
Olten to Bienne. We found the Swiss Red
Cross very much in evidence. A military
doctor was in charge of the train, with a staff
of Swiss nurses, and everything was being done
to make the men feel they were amongst their
own friends again. The " B.L.R.C.O." had
provided a sufficiency of underclothing to give
every British soldier a complete outfit, and
5
50 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
when these had been distributed, I think the
happiness of our countrymen was at its zenith.
They were wearing Turkish fatigue uniforms,
but of their other garments, the least said the
better. The sole British officer was clothed in a
parody of a civilian overcoat. He, likewise, was
only too glad to accept an outfit, as he had
absolutely nothing with him but the garments in
which he stood.
On visiting the cot cases, I came across two
Indian soldiers, one of whom, a man of low
caste, who had served as a transport driver,
appeared to be very cheery, and to all outward
appearance in good health. I spoke to him
in his own language, and asked why he was
in bed. In reply, he turned aside the bed
covers, disclosing the stumps of both legs ampu-
tated high above the knee. I was much taken
aback, and could only ejaculate, " You have
done well by the Sirkar," a remark which met
with the response, " Oh, that is of no consequence,
I would have done better if I could." The
other, a high caste man of the Zemindar class,
seemed to be ill at heart rather than of body.
I tried to cheer him by speaking of his early
return to India, and of the sunshine of his own
country, but nothing I could say gave him
any comfort. I found it difficult to account
for the extraordinary contrast in the mentality
RED CROSS ORGANIZATIONS 51
of the two men, and can only surmise that the
indignities put upon the Zemindar, when a
prisoner of war in Turkey, had lowered his
morale to such a degree that, from the caste
point of view, he had already ceased to exist.
He had, in his own eyes, lost standing, and,
consequently, all that made life worth living.
The transport driver, on the other hand, had
been inured from birth to a want of consider-
ation, and was quite regardless of an}- ill treat-
ment or indignity at the hands of the foreigner
and enemy. He had, therefore, retained his
morale, and gloried in the fact that he had done
his duty by the " Sirkar," and would become
the object of its solicitude in the future.
I had also the privilege of being present
at Schaffhausen when some 500 French
civilians were repatriated from Germany. The
convoy consisted of aged men and women,
young women and children, with a sprinkling of
men of military age suffering from tuberculosis —
as decrepit and woe-begone a crowd as could
well be imagined ! On arrival at the railway
station, they were taken in hand by represent-
atives of the Municipality, local doctors, and
ladies of the French and Swiss Red Cross.
The sick were quickly sorted out and driven
to hospitals in the town, where they were
destined to remain until either the end came,
52 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
or they were sufficiently restored to continue
their journey. Many, I fear, never set eyes
on beautiful France again. The rest were
marshalled in batches, and then led off through
the town to hostels, whence, after receiving
a bath, and being re-clothed in more seemly
garments, they were re-assembled in a large
hall for a much needed meal. The difference
in the spirits and appearance of these poor
people, after receiving this first attention at
the hands of the Swiss and their own com-
patriots, was indeed good to see. Their dazed
and tired look had been replaced by one of
smiling content. They had even found their
tongues, and at the end of the first meal they
had really enjoyed since their captivity they
responded enthusiastically to the speeches of
welcome addressed to them by their Swiss
hosts and by a well-known French Deputy,
Monsieur Arago, who had travelled from Paris
to convey a message of welcome from the French
Government. The proceedings ended with the
singing of the " Marseillaise," which, coming
from this sorely tried company, was overwhelm-
ing, and brought tears to the eyes of many.
Cheered and encouraged, clothed and warmed,
they were then marched through streets full
of the townspeople, who showed every sign
of goodwill and sympathy.
RED CROSS ORGANIZATIONS 53
What such receptions must have meant to
this convoy, and to those which followed on
practically every day of the week for months,
can only be known to the beneficiaries them-
selves ; but that they served to cement a feeling
of brotherhood as between race and race is,
I believe, undeniable, and is all to the good.
It must always be remembered that the difference
of race and language of the Swiss people did
not connote any difference of feeling or action
towards the prisoners of war or interned civilians,
and, to my mind, the sense of a possible all-
world-brotherhood had one of its happiest
demonstrations in the dealings of the Swiss
towards these unfortunate sufferers of the war.
CHAPTER V
THE FOUNDATION AND ORGANIZATION OF THE
"BRITISH SECTION" OF THE "BUREAU
DE SECOURS AUX PRISONNIERS DE
GUERRE" AT BERNE
DURING the winter of 1914-15, Allied and
Swiss organizations were created at Berne
for the despatch of food and clothing to
prisoners of war in the Central Empires, the
most important of which were the " Bureau de
Secours aux Prisonniers de Guerre," and the
" Comite Bernois." The former was founded
by Monsieur Poinsard and Madame Pageot
(wife of the French Military Attache), in the
interests of French prisoners ; the latter by
Madame Valentin (a Swiss lady), under the
aegis of the Swiss Red Cross Society, in the
interests of Belgian prisoners.
About this time, Lady Grant Duff, after
consulting the Minister and myself, decided
to organize a small depot at the Legation,
for the despatch of parcels of food to individual
prisoners of war in Germany whose names had
THE "BUREAU DE SECOURS " 55
been brought to her notice, either directly by
personal letters of appeal, or by the French
Bureau, who were in touch with some of the
camps in Bavaria and Baden through their
Swiss Delegates. It was mainly owing to these
Delegates that the needs of necessitous British
prisoners came to light. The funds for this
purpose were raised at Berne from amongst
a small group of British residents, Mrs. Carfrae
making us the first gift, in the shape of a £5
note.
I can recall an occasion, in the autumn of
1914, when Lady Grant Duff invited me to
inspect one of the first consignments awaiting
despatch. It consisted of fifteen small parcels
weighing about 8 lb. each, displayed with great
pride by about as many ladies ; but it was a
matter of much satisfaction to all of us that
a move had been made in the right direction.
This modest beginning was the precursor of
an organization that was finally to provide
100,000 men with bread, and to bring hope
and comfort to so many of our suffering com-
patriots in Germany. Some doubts had been
expressed as to whether the Camp Commandants
or the authorities in Berlin would not demur
to Switzerland being made a base of supply
to our men ; but when, after a reasonable
lapse of time, the addressees returned their
56 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
acknowledgment cards duly receipted, appre-
hensions on this score were set at rest.
For the sake of co-ordination and obtaining
immediate recognition b}^ the Swiss Govern-
ment, Lady Grant Duff decided to join hands
with the French, and accept the warm invi-
tation extended to her in this sense by Monsieur
Poinsard. A " British Section " was accord-
ingly formed, and affiliated to the French
" Bureau de Secours," in April, 1915, Lady
Grant Duff and myself being appointed members
of the Central Committee. The British and
French Sections were thus able to unite for the
advancement of their general interests, whilst
still retaining absolute administrative and
financial independence.
At a much later date, a Russian Section was
also affiliated to the " Bureau de Secours,"
and Italian and Roumanian Sections to the
" Comite Bernois " when Italy and Roumania
entered the war.
A Committee was now formed for the " British
Section," consisting of : —
Lady Grant Duff President.
Lieut.-Colonel Picot (Military Attache) Member.
Mb. Paul d'Hauteville .... Hon. Secretary.
Mb. J. R. Clarke Hon. Secretary.
Mb. L. Buchmann (late H.M.'s Consul-
General at Munich) .... Hon. Treasurer.
THE "BUREAU BE SECOURS " 57
Concurrently with these transactions, correspon-
dence had taken place with the Foreign Office
and the " Prisoners of War Help Committee "
in London, informing them of the measures
adopted or proposed at Berne, so that any
clash of interest or of effort might be avoided.
The necessity for close co-operation with London
became all the more imperative when the
conditions of life in Germany had been fully
realized. Letters from the prisoners showed
that bread was the great essential need, for,
as supplied in the camps, it was lacking in both
quantity and quality, and, in so far as the
German authorities were concerned, there was
no hope of any improvement in either respect.
The "Ps. of W.H.C.," as well as regimental
and private societies, were, it is true, doing
all in their power to cope with the situation,
but, for reasons beyond their control, they
were not in a position to meet the demand
from England alone. Switzerland, owing to
its geographical position, seemed clearly indicated
as the nearest and quickest channel of communi-
cation ; added thereto were the facilities offered
by the Swiss Government for the rapid trans-
port of food between Berne and Frankfort.
These considerations led Lady Grant Duff to
the decision that the British Section should
devote itself for the future almost exclusively
58 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
to the provision of bread, and steps were accord-
ingly taken to give effect to this new departure.
A discussion of ways and means ensued with
the Political Department at Berne, and Lady
Grant Duff was happily assured of the fullest
support of that Department by its Chief. Her
attention was, however, drawn to the shortage
of wheat in Switzerland, — a matter of grave
concern at the time, — and it was suggested that
all requirements of the "British Section" of the
" Bureau " should be met by direct importation
from abroad. Arrangements were accordingly
made with H.M.'s Consul-General at Marseilles
for the purchase and transport of regular con-
signments of flour from that place. Incidentally
it may be mentioned that this flour proved of
a far higher quality than that locally procurable.
As time went on, it deteriorated in colour and
quality, but always remained superior to the
Swiss admixture of flour and potato.
Pending the arrival of the first consignment
of flour from Marseilles, the Berne authorities
were good enough to meet all requirements.
They also generously placed railway wagons
at the disposal of the Committee for the transport
of the bread free of all charge. These wagons,
after being loaded by our own employees, were
sealed for direct and uninterrupted transit to
Frankfort, where they were opened, the contents
THE "BUREAU DE SECOURS " 59
being there sorted before despatch by rail to
the camps in Germany. This system was of
immense advantage, as the ordinal delay at
Bale for Customs examination was thereby
eliminated, and a clear gain of twenty-four
hours obtained on the railway journey.
The new scheme, making bread the chief
article of supply, took definite shape about
May, 1915, and the public at home and abroad
were made aware of the establishment of the
" Bureau " with its widened sphere of activity.
The response was immediate, and for a time
overwhelming. Thousands of applications, with
requests for the despatch of bread to individual
soldiers, poured in from all quarters. To keep
abreast of this demand was no easy matter,
but the original organization showed signs of
considerable adaptability, and its development
became phenomenal.
Hitherto, the accommodation so kindly placed
at the disposal of the Committee by H.M.'s
Minister at the Legation had sufficed for all
purposes. Now fresh quarters had to be sought
for, and a range of eight shops in Helvetia Strasse,
together with a large music-hall, lying idle
owing to curtailment of business, were rented
and equipped for the executive work. The
administrative offices remained at the Legation
until November, 1915, when a large flat was
60 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
secured in the same neighbourhood, and to
this the various departments were transferred.
Eventually, the whole house, with its three
sets of apartments, was secured, and the Legation
at last resumed its normal aspect, much, I
imagine, to the relief of the Minister.
The " Bureau " as a whole had now taken
shape. The administrative branch, organized
and managed personally by Lady Grant Duff,
dealt with the following subjects in its eight
departments : —
1. Secretarial.
2, 3. Correspondence with Regimental
Committees.
4, 5. Correspondence with private sub-
scribers.
6. Card Indexing.
7. Files.
8. Finance and supply.
The Executive concerned itself with the
receipt and despatch of food and clothing,
and was organized and conducted by my daughter
until the autumn of 1915, when her services
were transferred by Lady Grant Duff to the
administration. Mr. and Mrs. Jebb Scott
succeeded her on the executive. The personnel
of each department consisted of a Lady Superin-
tendent, assisted by British and Swiss ladies
and paid workers. Several Swiss gentlemen,
THE "BUREAU DE SECOURS " 61
including an officer of high rank, also gave
voluntary service.
The work, during 1915, was chiefly concerned
with meeting the demands of Regimental
Committees and other similar institutions, as
well as those of private subscribers. The
system of transacting business with private
subscribers proved cumbersome from the point
of view of the " Bureau," and unsatisfactory
from that of the prisoners themselves. It
entailed, during the course of every month,
the receipt and acknowledgment of thousands
of letters with their accompanying postal orders,
and gave rise to a congestion with which it
was not easy to deal. Associated with this
question was the uncertainty as to the renewal
of the original order, and the possibility of the
beneficiary being removed from the " Bureau "
lists for want of the necessary remittances
from his friends at home. There was little
probability of this happening with men borne
on the rolls of Regimental Committees, but
it was not of infrequent occurrence in the case
of private subscribers.
Another difficulty was encountered in meeting
the requirements of men recently captured,
many of whom made appeals to Berne as soon
as they had reached their camps in Germany.
This was overcome by bringing all such men
62 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
on to the Berne lists, and by supplying them
with bread for a period of six weeks. Mean-
while, their names were sent home to be dealt
with by their Regimental Committees, or by
private subscribers, in the usual way.
A consideration of these obstacles to efficiency
induced Lady Grant Duff, in 1915, to suggest
to the " Ps. of W.H.C." that an organization
might be created in England with power to
deal directly with Regimental or other Com-
mittees, thus centralizing effort, and eliminating
the private subscriber. This organization
would, it was expected, have the further advant-
age of putting an end to overlapping, which
was much accentuated by minor associations
carrying on work as independent sources of
supply. I am referring more especially to
Switzerland. The danger inherent in these
associations was forcibly brought to the notice
of the Committee in Berne when a letter was
received by Lady Grant Duff from one of the
Commandants in German}^ informing her of
the arrival of a parcel containing literature
of an abusive nature. A warning was added
that any repetition of the offence would lead
to the closure of the camp in so far as sup-
plies of bread were concerned. As neither the
addressee nor the camp were on the Berne lists,
the matter was regulated without trouble, but
THE "BUREAU DE SECOURS " 63
the incident showed the danger to which the
" Bureau " at Berne was subjected.
It was not till October, 1916, when the " Central
Prisoners of War Committee " came on the
scene, and was made responsible for the co-ordin-
ation of all effort in connection with the pro-
vision of food or other supplies for prisoners,
whether at home or abroad, that the wishes
of Lady Grant Duff were realized. Radical
changes ensued. Berne doffed its independence,
and became affiliated to the " C.P. of W.C.,"
following on which many of the minor associa-
tions in Switzerland, to which I have referred,
discontinued work. Copenhagen was opened
as a supplementary " Bureau of Supply,"
and the regimental system of registration was
adopted, the private subscriber being no longer
permitted to deal directly with the " Bureaux "
in Switzerland or in Denmark.
The following figures will give an idea of the
work of the " Bureau " at Berne, from the
date of its foundation, in April, 1915, to October,
1916, when the fusion with the " C.P. of W.C."
took place : —
In July, 1915, 13,000 Ps. of W. were in the
receipt of weekly parcels of bread ; in January,
1916, 19,200 ; in September, 1916, 30,000.
A few words as to the quality of the bread,
and its manufacture, will not be out of place.
64 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
The flour imported from Marseilles in 1915 and
1916 was of the standard fixed by the French
Government for consumption in France, and
proved of very good quality. Then a falling off
was noticed, the bread keeping less well in con-
sequence. In 1917 the " C.P. of W.C." arranged
for the despatch of Canadian flour to Berne, via
Havre, so that a high standard of bread was again
attained. Its manufacture was entrusted to Swiss
bakers, as many as forty different establishments
being employed for the purpose in Berne alone.
The loaf was baked for twenty minutes longer
than was customary in Switzerland, and was
calculated to remain in sweet condition from
four to six weeks, the period varying according to
the season and the quality of the flour. Failures
were inevitable, but these did not exceed 2 per
cent, in 1915 and 1916, and 8 per cent, in 1917.
At the end of 1917, with the advent of
Canadian flour, the former excellent record was
re-established.
The question may be asked as to the method
of checking these figures. The answer is that
failures were brought to light and tabulated
from the records furnished by the prisoners
themselves when duly acknowledging the receipt
of their parcels.
Continental baking did not always meet
with the approval of " Tommy Atkins," for
THE "BUREAU DE SECOURS " 65
the Berne loaf contained too much crust for
his taste, and often for his teeth, but as lasting
properties were of the first importance, other
considerations had to be sacrificed. It is interest-
ing to note, however, that when the French
Government seriously occupied itself with the
supply of its prisoners, and experimental work
was initiated, the loaf turned out by Swiss
bakers was selected as by far the most satis-
factory. In 1918 a biscuit, which, I understand,
was greatly liked by the men, was evolved to
take the place of bread. With the addition
of water, it could be made as soft and palatable
as fresh bread, whilst it had the further advantage
of keeping fresh for an indefinite period.
Much of the success which attended the
" Bureau " was due to the fact that bread was
despatched to each individual soldier in a
separate package. An alternative method
adopted by the French Section was that of
sending consignments in bulk for distribution
in the camps. This had not proved satisfactory,
as there was nothing to show that the consign-
ment reached the prisoners in its entirety,
and both Monsieur Poinsard and Madame
Pageot were dissatisfied with results, though
they did not see their way to any change of
method. The Camp Commandants would,
they believed, be averse to any change in favour
6
66 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
of individual packages. Lady Grant Duff
decided, however, to put this latter sj^stem to
the test, as we were very anxious, for a variety
of reasons, to get into touch with the men
individually, and a beginning was made by the
despatch of a small number of individual parcels.
Letters were also addressed to the Commandants,
asking for lists of the men borne on their rolls.
In both cases the results were found promising,
for receipts came back from the men at intervals
averaging about a month, and 50 per cent,
of replies were received from the Commandants.
The system of dealing separately with every
prisoner was thereupon definitely adopted for
good and all, and continued without any serious
hitch during practically the whole period of
the war, or, to be more correct, until the declara-
tion of the Armistice.
Receipted acknowledgments showed that
during the first eighteen months 98 per cent,
of parcels reached their destination, a fact
very creditable to all concerned. Losses may
in part be accounted for by miscarriage owing
to transfers of soldiers from one part of Germany
to another. It should also be stated that
undelivered parcels were returned to Berne
from Germany almost daily with the inscription
" Addressee not traceable."
The organization at Berne was, I venture
THE "BUREAU DE SECOURS " 67
to state, conducted on right lines from the
beginning, and well deserved the confidence
reposed in it by the public. Special attention
was bestowed on the business side of the enter-
prise, and no department was more carefully
scrutinized than that of Finance and Supply.
Sir Arthur Lawley, who reported on the " British
Section of the Bureau " in May, 1916, on behalf
of the B.R.C.S., writes as follows : —
" The system of accounting, too, is elaborate
and extensive. All subscriptions have to be
paid in advance. The ' Bureau ' has no general
fund on which to draw for any monies which
may be wanting. Subscriptions are received
from Regimental Committees, numbering about
one hundred, and from a vast number of private
subscribers, many of whom send the smallest
sums receivable, viz., 4s. for a month's supply.
If private subscribers would be content to
contribute through the Committee or Association
of the regiment to which the particular beneficiary
belonged, it would be an excellent thing. It
would reduce the inconvenience which arises
from the fact that there is a tendency on the
part of donors to subscribe for short periods
only, or to be intermittent in forwarding the
money which is required to ensure a constant
supply. ... I consider myself fortunate indeed
to have had an opportunity of thoroughly
68 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
examining every branch of the excellent work
which is being carried on in the c Bureau de
Secours aux Prisonniers de Guerre,' Berne,
by Mrs. Grant Duff and her band of zealous
and devoted helpers. The record achieved
is one of which they may well be proud. It
could certainly never have been attained with-
out an incessant and generous devotion of time,
trouble, and sagacity. I should like to offer
them my hearty congratulations on the fruit
of their labours."
I may be permitted here to record the names
of some of those to whom I feel a special tribute
is due : —
Mr. Paul d' Haute ville, formerly a member
of the American Diplomatic Corps, who
gave the whole of his time to the service
of a nation not his own, first as Hon.
Secretary, then as Director, of the " Bureau."
When America threw in her lot with the
Allies, he resigned to take a prominent
position in the Red Cross in France under
the flag of his own country. He was, with
the approval of His Majesty, appointed
a Knight of Grace of the Order of St. John
of Jerusalem in England. My wife, who
organized and managed the Department
of Finance and Supply until her departure
THE "BUREAU DE SECOURS " 69
from Berne in December, 1915. Miss
Nesta Sawyer, who replaced my daughter
in the administration in December, 1915,
and later took the place of Mr. Paul d'Haute-
ville as Honorary Secretary. Her charming
personality and ability are well known.
Mr. and Mrs. Jebb Scott, whose able manage-
ment added to the efficiency of the execu-
tive branch, and enabled it to keep abreast
of the ever-expanding work. Mr. Bernstiel,
who took over the management of the
Department of Finance and Supply, and
successfully expanded it to meet the ever-
increasing demands, and Miss Keightlej^,
who was in charge of an important depart-
ment of the administration throughout.
Others who gave valuable service were : —
The late Mrs. Carfrae, Mrs. Barton, the
Lady Acton, the late Hon. Anne Dalby
Acton, Mrs. Wyndham, Mrs. Sawyer, Mrs.
Skipworth, Mme. de Muralt, Mrs. Clarke,
Miss Mary Clarke, Mrs. d'Hauteville, Mme.
de Watteville-Pourtales, Mr. Guy Louymer,
Mme. Louymer, Mme. Courvoisier, Mile.
Courvoisier, Colonel Courvoisier, Mme. de
Segesser, Mme. Spoerry, Mme. Raoul de
Wurstemberger, Mile. Claire de Wurstem-
70 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
berger, Mrs. Broderick de Pitard, Miss Binney,
the young ladies of Miss Gray's School
at Berne, Mr. and Mrs. Esdaile, Miss Dal-
gairns, Miss Grace Phillips, the late Miss
Alice Hanford Flood, whose end was
hastened by over-strain, Mr. and Mrs. Tod-
hunter, Mr. Horridge, Mrs. Bradley, Miss
Chaplyn, Mrs. Macey, and Miss Swainston.
I have naturally written at length of that
period of the early life and development of the
" Bureau " which is best known to me, but
I think I have shown that progress was steady
and continuous. Between September, 1916,
and November, 1918, the numbers of prisoners
of war supplied from Berne rose from 30,000
to 100,000, and as early as 1917 the business
had become of such importance that the
" B.R.C.S.," London, found it desirable to appoint
a Commissioner to direct the operations of the
" Bureau," the successive occupants of the
post being, Mr. A. Mayne, Major-General Sir
Richard Ewart, K.C.M.G., and Major H. R.
Charley (Assistant Commissioner).
Viewed from afar, and looking back on the
undertaking as a whole, it appears to me very
remarkable that a handful of people, few of
whom had any previous business experience,
should have initiated and elaborated with so
THE "BUREAU DE SECOURS" 71
much success a scheme of such great significance.
It demanded both courage and imagination,
and happily in Lady Grant Duff a leader was
found who possessed these qualities in a high
degree, and furthermore united with them a
faculty for organization and a tact which were
never at fault. It is not to be wondered at
that she was so ably seconded by her many
friends, whose unselfishness, enthusiasm, and
untiring labours, had my unbounded admiration.
Lady Rumbold, who succeeded her as President
in September, 1916, identified herself with the
work in a whole-hearted manner, and devoted
to it a large part of her time and energy. It
was during her Presidency that the affiliation
with the " C.P. of W.C." took place, carrying
with it an immense increase of work.
These ladies have their reward in the affection-
ate regard of that large army of prisoners who
were fed and comforted by them during the
many months and years of their wearisome
captivity. Theirs was a good work nobly done.
CHAPTER VI
ARRIVAL IN SWITZERLAND OF THE FIRST
CONTINGENT OF BRITISH PRISONERS OF
WAR FROM GERMANY
THE first contingent of British prisoners
of war was timed to arrive across the
German frontier into Switzerland, at Constance,
on May 28, 1916. The transport arrangements,
as in the case of all movements connected with
Repatriation or Internment in Switzerland,
were, in the case of these officers and men,
controlled by Colonel Dr. Bohny, Chief of the
Swiss Military Red Cross Department, who,
together with his able and noble-minded wife,
frequently journeyed on the trains and gave
personal supervision to the more serious
cases.
Aware of the great interest in Great Britain
in the question of the Internment, and in order
to ensure the fullest and most reliable reports
of the condition of the men and their reception
in Switzerland reaching the British public
without dela}^, I suggested to Colonel Hauser the
72
ARRIVAL OF FIRST CONTINGENT 73
advisability of issuing permits to the special
correspondents of The Times and Morning Post
(who had made representations to me on the
subject), to enable them to board the train
at Zurich, or at some place near the frontier,
if they so desired, and accompany it to its
destination. Colonel Hauser at first demurred
to the proposal on the plea that he had hitherto
refused all permits to the Press, fearing the
introduction of a new precedent, but on my
representing to him my hopes and anticipations
of a warm reception for our men on the part
of the population, and that it seemed eminently
desirable to give the outside public the benefit
of reports by properly qualified press correspond-
ents, more especially as German Switzerland
had been somewhat prejudiced in the minds
of that public by being credited with very
pronounced pro-German proclivities, he saw
the point, and, withdrawing all objections,
agreed to the issue of the permits. Shortly
afterwards Colonel Bohny laughingly men-
tioned to me that his life had been made a burden
to him by applications from the Bernese for
passes of admittance to the railway station.
" Special arrangements would," he said, " have
to be made at the station to prevent confusion."
Never in his experience had so many applications
been made to meet a troop train ; the good
74 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
Bernese seemed to have entirely lost their
heads over the British !
On the morning of the 28th of May I left Berne
for Zurich, where at 8 p.m. on the same day
I went to the station to meet the troop train
arriving at 8.30 from Constance. The sight
which presented itself to my astonished gaze
was an extraordinary one, and I believe unique
in the whole history of the transport of prisoners
of war to Switzerland. The approaches to
the station were alive with a struggling mass
of townspeople, all anxious to find standing-
room on the platform, which was ringed round
by a compact line of Swiss troops. It was with
the greatest difficulty that I and my party
forced our way through this seething mass to
the line of soldiers, and thus gained admittance
to the platform, and it was entirely due to the
forbearance of the townspeople, who recognized
my uniform, that we were enabled to do so.
There we met Sir Cecil Hertslet, H.M.'s Consul-
General, the members of his Staff, and the
whole of the British community of Zurich.
The arrival of the train was heralded by
distant cheers, which were taken up by the
assembled crowd, and, finally, there came the
answering cheers of our men, whose lungs,
whatever otherwise was their bodily condition,
did not appear to have suffered from their long
ARRIVAL OF FIRST CONTINGENT 75
captivity in Germany. Thus was removed all
question as to the feelings of the German-speaking
Swiss towards British soldiers. Never for a
moment had I had any doubt of their being
well received, but that the reception should
have attained such proportions and fervour
was quite another matter, and went far beyond
anything which I could have possibly fore-
seen.
There is no doubt that the achievements of
the first hundred thousand of our men in France
and Belgium had made a strong appeal to a
people whose history is a long story of heroic
struggle against great odds. It is true that
the prestige of the British had suffered in Swiss
eyes in the past. The suffrage of the whole
population during the South African War
declared itself in favour of the Boers, who were
thought to be the victims of the ambition of
the stronger Power. Like themselves, the Boers
were a small people in contact with more
powerful and autocratic neighbours, and instinct-
ively Swiss sympathies went out to them.
But we had redeemed ourselves in their eyes
since the war, and, as I read the meaning of
the manner in which they met our men, these
same Swiss wished to offer a tribute to the
British people, as represented by the survivors
of that first heroic army.
76 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
Both officers and men were full of appreciation
of the goodwill shown to them from the moment
of reaching the Swiss frontier. The fact that
they had at last left Germany seemed to them
almost too good to be true. They had refrained
from giving way to any signs of demonstration
on leaving Constance, for fear of being turned
back, and as they had no means of knowing
when they had quitted German territory,
perfect silence was maintained until they saw
men waving to them and cheering from the
fields, by which they realized they were amongst
friends, and had cast off the dust of captivity.
Then, at last, they felt able to give rein to their
pent-up feelings. So it had been all the way
to Zurich, every village along the route turning
out to greet them as they passed by. I could
see that this outburst of emotion after the
suppression and antagonism of the years of
captivity was having a very trying effect, for
all ranks looked dazed, and appeared only half
conscious of what was taking place around
them. I mentally registered the fact that, to
all outward appearance, there could be but
little difference between shell shock and the
emotional shock of pleasurable impressions so
suddenly experienced.
Similar scenes were enacted at Berne, though
the hour was past midnight, where again thou-
ARRIVAL OF FIRST CONTINGENT 77
sands of the townspeople had assembled. The
Commandant of the station had, fortunately,
applied for a body of Swiss troops to maintain
order, and it was as well he had done so, for
without them we should have had trouble in
getting the men to the refreshment rooms,
where a supper had been prepared through
the thoughtful care of the " B.L.R.C.O." Here
they were met, in the absence of the Minister
and Lady Grant Duff, who had gone on to
await their arrival at Chateau d'Oex, by Lord
and Lady Acton and the other members of
our Legation, the Chiefs of the Allied Missions
with their Staffs, Colonel Hauser, Colonel Bohny,
and many Swiss officers. After supper and a
rest, the weary-looking, but refreshed and
happy party, loaded with gifts, was re-entrained
at about 3 a.m.
At this juncture I commenced to have mis-
givings as to how the men would stand the
long night journey still in front of them, and
orders were given for all blinds to be drawn,
but sleep, as it proved, was out of the question.
At Fribourg (one hour's run) thousands had
collected, who were in a very enthusiastic mood,
and made the most of the few minutes at their
disposal. During the longer run to Lausanne
silence prevailed in the carriages, but outside
every station we could hear the cheers of
78 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
hundreds who had been waiting during the
night just to see the train as it ran past.
Some hope was expressed of a quiet time
at Lausanne, where we were timed to remain
a quarter of an hour; but the Lausannois, and
the large British colony there, had no such
thought in their minds, and a crowd of some
8,000 testified to the feelings awakened. The
presents with which every one had provided
themselves had to be passed over the heads
of the closely packed crowd to those fortunate
enough to be nearest to the carriages, for it
was impossible for any except those near the
train to reach the men. Mr. Galland, H.M.'s
Consul, met the train here, and accompanied
it to Chateau d'Oex.
At Montreux, which was reached at 7 a.m.,
the British and Swiss communities had made
admirable arrangements for the entertainment
of officers and men at the Hotel Suisse, adjoining
the railway station. We were met on the
platform by large numbers of Red Cross bearers
and boy scouts, who carried or assisted the
cot cases from the train to the hotel, while
those able to walk marched through serried
ranks of sightseers, who broke through the
cordon of gendarmes to load them with flowers
and gifts, rejoicing when allowed to give a hand
or help the men. The scene which presented
ARRIVAL OF FIRST CONTINGENT 79
itself was one likefy to make a life-long
impression, for the terrace where the tables
were spread bordered the lake, disclosing the
beautiful stretch of water from the Dent-du-
Midi along the mountains of Savoy towards
Geneva — a view perhaps unparalleled in Europe.
An eloquent and stirring address in French
was given by the Prefect, the sincerity of whose
words, if not their meaning, went home to the
men, who cheered him to the echo. Mr. Cuenod,
H.M.'s Consul, in a few and simple words, made
it clear to all that, in a country where every
able-bodied man had the privilege of bearing
arms, the inhabitants would know how to
express, and to make felt, that sympathy which
every brave man should feel for another.
During the journey officers and men had
asked me repeatedly whether there was any
truth in a report which had reached them,
that as soon as they were restored to health,
they would be returned to Germany as prisoners
of war. When replying to the speech of the
Prefect, I made it quite clear to our men that
they had seen the last of Germany. The next
move, when the time came, would be homewards,
and all they had to do or think about meanwhile
was of getting well again, towards which end
they would be assisted by the advice and treat-
ment of a skilled Swiss Medical Staff. The
80 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
painful attention with which all concerned
listened to my words, and the immense relief
to which they gave rise, brought home to me
the heaviness which had been weighing on their
spirits owing to the uncertainty of their future.
How the malicious rumour arose no one at
the time appeared to know, but it came out
later that, in some of the camps in Germany,
the men had been informed by their guards
that they would return again to captivity as
soon as they were fit. Some of the men had
argued that as Switzerland could only take
a limited number of prisoners of war, their
places would be required by their other sick
comrades in Germany as soon as they themselves
were well enough to return. This they thought
only fair, but the fact, nevertheless, weighed
heavily upon them.
Immediately after breakfast, the men for
Leysin, all of whom were supposed to be tuber-
culous, and amongst whom were some serious
cases, were despatched to that destination in
charge of Swiss doctors ; the rest, for Chateau
d'Oex, were divided into groups, and sent up
in a succession of trains by the mountain railway.
The hills were covered by mist during the
first part of the run, but this gradually cleared
as the train mounted higher and higher, and
the last stage was made in an atmosphere of
ARRIVAL OF FIRST CONTINGENT 81
light and sun, which showed up the spring-
like aspect of the valleys in all their
beauty. The men were now in the best
of spirits at nearing their destination, and
vociferously returned the greetings of the
peasants and others who had collected at the
small stations en route, amongst whom were
many French officers and soldiers quartered
at Les Avants and elsewhere in the valley.
I was particularly pleased at seeing the latter,
as rumours had spread about Switzerland that
French and British Ps. of W., owing to ill-
feeling, would have to be kept at a distance
from each other. These rumours emanated
from a German source, and were evidently
circulated with the intention of creating friction.
The story may be ranked as one of the usual
fabrications set rolling by our enemies, with
a view to discrediting the Allies in the eyes
of the Swiss. In the sequel it was entirely
falsified, as French and British soldiers were
often quartered together to the entire satisfaction
of both, whilst the relations of the officers
towards each other were often of a very intimate
character.
A sound of great cheering, accompanied by
the strains of " God save the King," arose
as the train steamed into the station at Chateau
d'Oex, which was profusely decorated with
7
82 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
branches of fir and flowers. Grouped on the
platform were H.M.'s Minister and Lady Grant
Duff, my wife and daughter, the Swiss Municipal
Council, the Rev. E. Dudley Lampen, and
the leading members of the British and Swiss
community. A delightful touch of old-world
life and colour was imparted to the scene by
hundreds of school-children who, dressed in
their national costumes, lined the road near
by, and distributed bunches of wild flowers
to their new friends. The removal of many
battered remnants of humanity, as they were
lifted from the carriages, struck a pathetic
note in the midst of much that was otherwise
joyous and exhilarating.
During the collation that followed, Sir Evelyn
Grant Duff addressed the men in very happily
chosen words, and read a message from His
Majesty, which was received with cheers, and
appreciated by both officers and men. Tired
out, though contented, the men were finally
led off by Swiss boy and girl scouts, and the sick
were carried on stretchers or conveyed by
carriages to their hotels and chalets, where
most of them turned in to a well-earned sleep,
to awake later to the life of routine and rest
they were to live for the next eighteen months.
CHAPTER VII
THE SWISS SYSTEM OF ADMINISTRATION AND
DISCIPLINE RELATIVE TO THE INTERNED
PRISONERS OF WAR
IN determining the sj^stem of administration
and discipline for Ps. of W. interned in
Switzerland, the Swiss authorities had no prece-
dent to follow beyond the experience gained in
1871, when a French army under General Bour-
baki, in seeking an asylum on Swiss territoty, was
disarmed and interned on crossing the frontier.
The conditions under which the internment
was effected during the Great War of 1914-1918
were, however, wholly different ; for whereas
in 1871 the internment was imposed on Switzer-
land as a neutral State, in accordance with
the rulings of international law, in 1915 it was
voluntarily offered by the Swiss Government, and
was accepted by the belligerent States in accord-
ance with the terms of a Convention to which
Switzerland, France, England, and Germany had
given their adherence. There was also a further
and important difference, viz., whereas in 1871
83
84 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
the Swiss Government was called upon to
exercise authority over an armed body of fit
men, in 1916 they were given the guardianship
of Ps. of W., composed exclusively of the sick
and wounded.
For the regulation of the system of internment,
two alternatives presented themselves, both
of which had their ardent partisans. In the
one case, it was proposed that the interned
Ps. of W. should be dealt with in the same way
as any ordinary unit of the Swiss Army, i.e.,
they should be administered and controlled
by the General Headquarter Staff at Berne ;
in the other, that they should be placed under
the control of the Sanitary Service of the Army,
a branch of that Service being specially created
for that purpose. Those in favour of the former
procedure pointed out that discipline would
be difficult of maintenance, if left to the medical
officer alone, and that the adoption of an
entirely novel procedure, for which there was
no precedent, would give rise to trouble ; the
argument adduced in favour of the latter method
was, that as the Interned were either sick,
wounded, or convalescent, they could only be
dealt with satisfactorily by the Swiss Sanitary
Service.
After much deliberation, the Swiss Govern-
ment declared itself in favour of the creation
ADMINISTRATION AND DISCIPLINE 85
of a special branch of the Sanitary Service,
to which should be delegated the administrative,
medical, and disciplinary control of the Interned,
and orders to give effect to this decision were
issued. This special branch was made independ-
ent of the G.H.Q. Staff, and was placed under
the segis of the Political Department of the
Government, with Colonel Hauser as Chief
Medical Officer of the Army (Medecin d'Armee),
in control.
The organization of the new Service took
the following form : a central administrative
office, under Colonel Hauser, at Berne, divided
into three sections to correspond to the three
branches of the Interned — the Franco-Belgian,
British, and German. Each section had its
personnel, with a senior medical officer in
charge, who was responsible for the administra-
tion and direction of his branch of Interned.
The accounts were dealt with by officers detached
from the Quartermaster-General's Department
of the Army. Directly emanating from, and
subordinate to, Colonel Hauser's Headquarters
Service at Berne came the regional service of
the Interned, with a " Directing Medical Officer,"
who was responsible for all the camps located
within his region. The camps were staffed by
medical officers, with the senior in command.
As a rule, all these medical officers were of arniy
86 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
rank ; in some few cases civilian doctors were
also employed, though in exceptional circum-
stances only.
Discipline in the camps was entrusted to the
senior Swiss Medical Officer, the senior interned
officer being made responsible to him for all
officers, and the senior interned N.C.O. for all
N.C.Os. and men. As regards discipline in
general, the Interned were placed under the same
rules and regulations as soldiers of the Swiss
Army.
The system, as elaborated for Ps. of W.,
was calculated to maintain a complete severance
between interned officers and men, the former
being given no responsibility whatever in a
disciplinary sense as regards the latter, i.e.,
they were not entrusted with any executive
authority or any power of punishment. This
system had many drawbacks, though possibly
it might have proved workable if the officers
had been quartered, as in Germany, quite apart
from the men. In Switzerland this was not
the case, for not only were all ranks located
in the same place, but in many instances they
were even quartered in the same hotels. Ex-
pedience, it might be thought, would have
dictated the employment of the interned officer
and the delegation to him of a modicum of
authority, in order that he might collaborate
ADMINISTRATION AND DISCIPLINE 87
with the responsible Swiss authorities. Yet, at
the outset, nothing of the kind was contemplated,
the Swiss preferring to deal with officers and
men as distinct and separate entities, without
connection one with the other. The motive
underlying this policy may, I believe, be found
in the fear entertained in Swiss military circles
of the delegation of powers to interned officers
of certain nationalities, whose arrogance had
become a bye-word in Europe, and of whom
these circles entertained lively misgivings.
Any display of arrogance or harshness would
have been extremely repugnant and particularly
misplaced when applied to sick men, all of
whom were either weakened by suffering or
broken in body and nerve. Whatever dis-
advantages had been envisaged by the practical
elimination of the interned officer as a coadjutor
of the local Swiss Staff, compensation, it was
believed, would be found in the freedom given
to the Swiss Medical Officer in his dealings
with the men, whose state of health formed
so decisive a factor, whether regarded from
the medical or the disciplinary point of view.
This system had already been applied to the
French and Belgian Interned, of whom a con-
siderable number were already in the country
when the first contingent of British arrived
in May, 1916. I had not had time to ascertain
88 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
whether it was working well or otherwise, but
I quickly realized that, whatever the result
may have been as regards our Allies, it would
never have any success with our officers or
men, neither of whom would willingly accept
a divorce in their relations, now that they had
once again been happily reunited after the
long interval of separation as Ps. of W. in
Germany.
Moreover, there were difficulties inherent to
the situation, which no amount of goodwill
on the part of the Swiss would enable them
to overcome unaided. The mentality of the
British soldier, who, in the absence of his own
officers, would probably prove refractory to the
enforcement of a discipline to which he was
unaccustomed, was a factor to which the Swiss
had not given enough consideration. The
language difficulty, too, although not insuperable
— for the Staff were fairly well conversant with
English — was still an obstacle to understanding,
and there were many matters connected with
the daily life of the British soldier, his customs
and habits, which were outside the ken of the
Swiss, and for which light and leading could
only come from their own officers.
The preliminary experience gained in the
treatment of our Allied comrades, the French
and Belgians, would doubtless prove of value,
ADMINISTRATION AND DISCIPLINE 89
but that value had to be discounted, for in
their case the language difficulty was entirely
eliminated, French being the language both
of themselves and of their hosts. In thought,
customs and habits, likewise, there was no
marked difference between our Allies and the
inhabitants of that part of Switzerland in which
they were located. The same applies to the
Germans, for they also were located amongst
a population speaking their own language.
I seized the earliest opportunity of talking
over these matters with Major Dr. Mercanton,
the Directing Medical Officer of the region in
which Chateau d'Oex was situated, and pointed
out that a strict adherence to the letter of the
regulations affecting the position of the British
officer in his relations to the men would inevitably
add to the perplexities of his Swiss colleagues.
Further, that the men would not readily give
their adherence to a system which subordinated
them entirely to the Swiss, and prevented them
from addressing themselves to their own officers
when in difficulty.
I suggested that the junior British officers
should be given specific duties in the camp
in connection with its interior economy, and
that the senior British officer should be given
a position more befitting his rank and standing.
He gave his assent to the former proposition,
90 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
but the actual application of this concession
was made in a very cautious manner, the position
and duties of these officers remaining very vague
and undefined, whilst those of the " S.B.O."
were not immediately changed in any material
fashion. The thin edge of the wedge had,
however, been inserted, which I felt would
finally open the doors to a fuller understanding.
On returning from Chateau d'Oex to my
headquarters at Berne, I called on Colonel
Hauser, and urged upon him the necessity of
amplifying, if possible, the concession made
in favour of the junior officers, which I character-
ized as much too vague to be of permanent
value, though useful as a basis for future develop-
ments. He seemed at first to regard with some
dismay the line I had taken, and demurred
to the creation of a precedent which might
have far-reaching consequences. He pointed
out that any change in the status of British
officers would inevitably lead to a change in
that of all interned officers, whether French,
Belgian, or German, and he was not prepared
to proceed far along that line. He added that
he had every confidence in the good sense
of the British officer, and was persuaded he
would not abuse any privilege conceded to
him, but he had to regard the internment as a
whole, and not as affecting one special section.
ADMINISTRATION AND DISCIPLINE 91
Finally, he asked me to be satisfied for the
present, and to await results.
To this I assented with the best possible
grace, realizing that radical changes could only
be effected in the light of experience, and that
time alone would show whether my views as
regards the necessity for closer co-operation
between Swiss and British officers in the camps
was essential or otherwise.
In August, 1916, a second large contingent
of British Ps. of W. arrived in Switzerland,
the well-known mountain resort of Miirren being
assigned to them as an interned centre. Miirren
lies in the Bernese Oberland, and is situated in
one of the German-speaking cantons. The
conditions regulating the internment at this
spot were in many respects more favourable
than at Chateau d'Oex, for the whole camp was
very compact, with a front of about one kilometre
in length as against the ten kilometres of Chateau
d'Oex. The officers had the further advantage
of being housed in a first-class hotel, the accom-
modation of which could hardly have been
bettered, and the fact of their all being lodged
under one roof under the direct supervision
of the " S.B.O." proved of inestimable value
to all concerned.
Lt.-Colonel F. H. Neish, Gordon Highlanders,
and Captain Dr. Llopart, the directing Swiss
92 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
Medical Officer, quickly reached an understanding
by which all such details as clothing, pay,
institutes, workshops, Red Cross and Y.M.C.A.
work, religious instruction, etc., were to be
dealt with as purely British matters by the
" S.B.O." and his officers, without interference
on the part of the Swiss authorities, whilst
the administration and discipline of the camp
were to be reserved, as of right, to Captain
Llopart and his Staff. This arrangement also
admitted of some co-operation between the Swiss
and British officers for disciplinary purposes.
This sub-division of duties gave scope to the
long dormant energies of our officers, and proved
of incalculable benefit in reviving in them a
feeling of responsibility, which the conditions
of their captivity in Germany had partially
atrophied.
As soon as the camp had had sufficient time
to settle down, Colonel Hauser paid it a visit
of inspection, and I was much gratified on his
return to Berne when he expressed to me his
keen satisfaction at the spirit prevailing, and
his astonishment at the rapidity with which
all ranks had adapted themselves to the novel
conditions of their internment. Miirren, to
use his own words, " showed signs of becoming
the model camp of Switzerland."
I now pointed out to him that we should,
ADMINISTRATION AND DISCIPLINE 93
in all probability, obtain equally good results
at other centres where progress had not been
so marked, if the system evolved at Miirren,
which, of course, was in no small degree the
result of the experience gained elsewhere during
the preceding three months, was made applicable
to all British camps throughout Switzerland.
I was not unmindful, in doing so, of our previous
conversation on the subject of Chateau d'Oex,
when he had asked me not to attempt to proceed
too fast at that place, and to await the results
of the small concessions I had obtained for the
improvement of the position of the " S.B.O."
and other officers, in so far as their relation
to the men and to his own Medical Staff was
in question.
The Colonel met me more than half-way,
and it was evident that his inspection had
convinced him of the necessity for that
closer co-operation between Swiss and British
which I had urged upon him previously. He
now, at my request, sent out orders convening
a meeting at Berne of the " D.M.Os." and
the "S.B.Os. " of Chateau d'Oex, Miirren,
and Leysin, with a view to the co-ordination
of the diverse systems in operation in these
camps. This meeting, at which I was present,
took place under the presidency of Major de
la Harpe, Staff Officer of the British Section
94 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
at Headquarters, and resulted in the elaboration
of the procedure evolved at Miirren, and the
subsequent promulgation of orders to all British
camps alike, whereby the delicate questions of the
position and duties of our officers were, at last,
finally set at rest.
The principles laid down at this meeting
had far-reaching consequences, for they were
made applicable at a much later date, and in
a modified form, to the Franco-Belgian and
German sections of the Interned. I was always
led to understand, however, that the relations
between our officers and the Swiss Camp Staff,
as also between the former and their men,
were of a more intimate nature than those
of our Allies or of the Germans in a corresponding
sense.
Another reform was effected by the appoint-
ment of an officer of the Swiss Army as Camp
Commandant, assistant to the " D.M.O.," who
relieved the latter of the greater part of the purely
disciplinary work. The title of " Commandant "
was somewhat of a misnomer, as this officer
was subordinate to the " D.M.O." ; but the
change proved of a beneficent nature, as it
enabled the medical officers to devote them-
selves more particularly to the medical and
administrative side of their task, and transferred
the matter of discipline to officers accustomed
ADMINISTRATION AND DISCIPLINE 95
to the handling of men. Most of these Comman-
dants had had experience of business life abroad,
and were, therefore, qualified by their linguistic
and cosmopolitan education to understand the
outlook of the British soldier. They found
no difficulty in adapting themselves to the
mentality of the Interned, and became useful
members of the camps' organization.
These reforms did not connote any change
in the status or duties of the " D.M.O.," who
remained, as before, the administrator and
disciplinary chief of the region. Under the new
conditions, the Commandant was assisted by
orderly officers chosen from the junior ranks
of the Interned, who were allocated duties
in connection with the interior economy of the
camp, and with the maintenance of discipline.
The right of punishment for military offences
was reserved to the Commandant alone, but
in all cases the preliminary investigation was
made by the orderly officer, who carried on
the case to the Commandant for punishment
or otherwise. This procedure gave great satis-
faction to the men, who were thereby assured
of a careful hearing by their own officers before
the final hearing by the Swiss Commandant.
Minor offences were dealt with by the Com-
mandant or the " D.M.O.," their respective powers
being limited to ten and twenty days' cells.
96 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
More serious offences were referred to the con-
sideration of the " Medecin d'Armee " at Berne,
whose powers extended to thirty days' cells.
Cases for court martial were reported to the
Judge Advocate-General for decision. If orders
for trial by court martial ensued, the matter
was dealt with by an " Itinerant Court Martial,"
composed of Swiss officers, the defence of the
accused being delegated to an officer of the
Swiss Bar possessing a knowledge of the language
of the accused. The composition of the court
martial was in every way satisfactory, great
regard being shown to the interests of the
accused with the aid of Counsel. The area
covered, however, was so great, extending, as
it did, from one end of Switzerland to the other,
that it was impossible for the Itinerant Court
to keep abreast of the work. Accused were,
in consequence, not infrequently incarcerated
for considerable periods whilst awaiting trial.
It would sometimes happen that at the end of
this delay the accused would be declared " not
guilty," and be released after a detention lasting
from four to twelve weeks. If declared " guilty,"
the period of detention was deducted from the
award ; if " not guilty," a compensation in
money might or might not be paid, as the
circumstances of the case dictated. The fact
of this prolonged detention before trial was
ADMINISTRATION AND DISCIPLINE 97
the only unsatisfactory feature of the system,
but as the procedure was common to both
Interned and the Swiss Army alike, and was,
moreover, in accordance with the tenets of
Swiss Military Law, protests were unavailing.
Taken as a whole, the severity of punishments
for military offences was no greater than in
the British Army, though the difference was
marked as regards the offence and its antidote.
It was at first a matter of much amusement
to our men to be sent to bed for three da}7s
for a minor offence which would have been
awarded three days' " C.B. " (confinement to bar-
racks) by a British officer. This form of punish-
ment is quite common to the Swiss soldier,
and is evidently much disliked by him ; but
to our men it appeared more in the light of a
joke. Here we have one small instance of the
divergence in custom and mentality between
the Swiss and ourselves.
8
CHAPTER VIII
MEDICAL ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE TREAT-
MENT OF THE SICK AND WOUNDED— THE
PROVISION OF HOSPITALS AND CLINICS
AS already stated in a previous chapter,
in the first stages of the negotiations of
1915 for the internment of Ps. of W. attention
had been directed solely to the hospitalization
in Switzerland of one category of prisoners,
viz., that of the tuberculous ; but very shortly,
under the pressure of public opinion, further
attention had been drawn to the advisability
of extending the principle to other categories,
with a view to the inclusion of disabilities of
a very varying nature. The discussions were
continued during 1915, with a view to the
realization of an enlarged programme, and in
Januarjr, 1916, a first list, comprising twelve
categories of disabilities or wounds, had been
prepared and agreed upon, including that of
tuberculosis, and the first essays of internment
were made on the 26th of January, 1916, com-
mencing with 200 tuberculous cases. By the
98
MEDICAL ARRANGEMENTS 99
14th of February 1,247 French and German Ps.
of W. had been interned in the regions of Montana,
Montreux, Leysin, the Bernese Oberland, the
Quatre Cantons, and Davos, comprised of men
of the aforesaid categories.
By the 16th of February the list had been in-
creased to twenty categories, to be afterwards
reduced in June and July, 1916, to eighteen.
These lists formed the basis of the work done by
the so-called " Itinerant Commissions of Swiss
Medical officers," who were authorized to proceed
to Germany, France, and England for the
examination and selection for internment in
Switzerland of all those prisoners found to be
suffering from the diseases or wounds mentioned
in the aforesaid eighteen categories.
The " Medecin d'Armee " was thus suddenly
faced with the problem of the internment and
treatment of a number of Ps. of W. largely
in excess of those originally in view, and the
whole of his programme had to be re-cast to
meet the needs of a body of Interned, not less
than the strength of an Army Corps. The
serious nature of the demands made on the
medical organization of the country may be
realized from the fact that every one of the
30,000 men about to reach Switzerland was
suffering from one or other form of disability,
requiring medical attention at the hands of
100 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
a Sanitary Service manned and equipped for the
ordinary requirements of the small Swiss Army.
To meet the additional requirements of the
medical personnel, medical officers in civil employ,
liable for further service, were mobilized, and
many civilian doctors, not so liable, were called
upon for a term of duty.
As regards the housing of those prisoners
whose treatment was not of a pressing nature,
and who formed the majority of the Interned,
accommodation was found in the hotels and
chalets with which Switzerland is so richly
endowed. In this respect no difficulty was
experienced ; but for those requiring that
care and treatment which could only be given
in a hospital, the solution was not so easy,
as the necessary accommodation for the large
numbers of sick, with which the country was
being flooded, was lacking.
It is true that many of the private clinics
which form so marked a feature of the modern
life of Switzerland had been vacated by their
foreign clients on the outbreak of war ; but,
as an off-set to this relief, the mobilization of
the Swiss Army threw a strain on the Sanitary
Service and the available accommodation which,
perhaps, more than counter-balanced the relief
afforded by the withdrawal of the foreign element.
The " Medecin d' Armee " did not, at the outset,
MEDICAL ARRANGEMENTS 101
therefore, find much relief from the release
of the private clinics, and a good deal of
improvization had to take place before the
difficulty was satisfactorily overcome.
Military and civil hospitals, already in being
in the different regions, were set apart or partially
utilized for the Interned, whilst other suitable
buildings were commandeered, and were installed
as hospitals or convalescent homes.
As to the treatment in the camps, the methods
adopted were of a varying nature. At Chateau
d'Oex, the men were, in the first instance,
distributed amongst the hotels and chalets,
without much regard to the nature of their
physical condition, but as soon as the doctors
could get to work, the worst cases were weeded
out and sent to the local hospital, the " Solda-
nelle." Less serious cases, and those awaiting
their time and turn for surgical treatment,
were dealt with in their own establishments.
The "Soldanelle" contained about eighty beds,
and had in pre-war days been equipped solely
for the use of visitors requiring rest cures, or
electric or light treatments. The equipment
included electric and X-ray installations, but
was deficient on the surgical side. This defect
was made good by the " B.L.R.C.O." at Berne,
who presented the hospital with the complete
equipment for an operating theatre.
102 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
A question in connection with this operating
theatre was raised at the time by the " Medecin
d'Armee," which is of some interest as illustrat-
ing the point of view of the Swiss Medical Staff
in respect to the surgical treatment of serious
cases. When I first suggested to Colonel Hauser
the desirability of bringing this hospital up to
date by the addition of an operating theatre,
he threw cold water on the scheme, on the
ground that Chateau d'Oex had never been
intended as an operating centre, and its equip-
ment as such might and would, probably, lead
to the performance of operations by local
surgeons, when such operations had best be
left to the specialist. There was no gainsaying
this argument, and for a time the matter was
left in abeyance ; but when an immediate opera-
tion had to be conducted at Chateau d'Oex,
in a hastily improvised room, as the only means
of saving the life of an officer suffering from
acute appendicitis, the need for a suitable
operating theatre again came prominently to
notice, and Colonel Hauser gave his consent
for its installation.
In the course of the first twelve months
some 400 minor operations were carried out
in this theatre by Dr. Brustlein, who fully
justified his reputation as a rising young surgeon.
Occasionally operations of a serious character
MEDTCAL ARRANGEMENTS 103
were also performed there, with the assistance
of specialists who were called in for the occasion,
Dr. Arndt, of Berne, amongst others. The
hospital thus served an excellent purpose in
relieving the specialized institutions of minor
cases, for which the accommodation would
have proved insufficient.
The nursing personnel consisted of orderlies,
both Swiss and British. The latter were un-
trained, but acquired in the course of time a
certain skill and readiness in their duties. As
regards women nurses, the doctors at Chateau
d'Oex were firmly opposed to their employment,
as being contrary to the usual custom of Swiss
military hospitals, and it was only at my
repeated instance, after considerable opposition,
that an offer to supply Swiss nursing sisters
at the expense of the " B.L.R.C.O." was ac-
cepted.
Another difficulty, and one for which no
immediate remedy could be found, was ex-
perienced in the lack of properly qualified
masseurs. In this respect the Sanitary Service
was faced with a very real difficulty. Most
of the trained masseurs of the Swedish type
had left the country on the outbreak of war,
and the number available from all sources for
the use of the Interned was totally inadequate.
Training schools were at once opened, but it
104 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
was not until the end of 1916 that the deficiency
was made good.
Meanwhile the Sanitary Service was subjected
to much severe and exaggerated criticism, owing
to the refusal of the authorities to accept assist-
ance from outside. The attitude of the " Medecin
d'Armee " vis-d-vis of the aid offered by the
Red Cross organizations of the Allies with
regard to the supply of nurses, masseurs, etc.,
was influenced in no small measure by the
decisive stand taken by Swiss Trade Unions,
who were jealously opposed to the employment
of foreign labour to the detriment of the Swiss
worker. He was obliged to give due considera-
tion to popular opinion on the subject, and
to follow the lead of his Government, so that
in many cases the acceptance or non-acceptance
of the assistance offered was determined for
him, and not by him. I may safely assert
that his decisions were never inspired by personal
prejudice, or based on a narrow or jealous view.
As regards Murren, no local hospital being
available, cases requiring any special treatment
were sent to the District Hospital at Interlaken,
or to the hospitals at Berne, Lucerne, and
Fribourg. Two small wards were set aside in
one of the hotels for patients suffering from
ordinary ailments, and a good deal of medical
work was carried out in the hotels, sun cures
MEDICAL ARRANGEMENTS 105
being much in favour for the treatment of
open wounds, etc. For massage and ortho-
paedic exercises a gymnasium was installed,
with apparatus of a useful kind. We were
indebted to the generosity of a Swiss friend for
certain of the more delicate and costly pieces
for vibratory exercises. The equipment con-
sisted of twenty-five apparatuses for " mecano-
therapie," two for "faradization," and one for
" galvanization." During 1916 above 253 cases
were treated, of which 96 were by massage,
45 by " eUectrotherapie," and 112 by "me-
canotherapie " ; 180 men were subjected to
sun cures.
A description of the District Hospital of
Interlaken, where so much work was done
for us, will serve to illustrate the general type
of civil hospitals placed at the disposal of the
general public all over Switzerland. This
hospital is divided into wards of five to ten
beds, affording accommodation for some 150
patients. The personnel consists of a resident
surgeon with a staff of doctors capable of dealing
with all the ordinary work of the district. The
surgeon in charge had served his novitiate under
Professor Kocher, of Berne, and was well known
throughout the length and breadth of the
Bernese Oberland as a very skilful operator.
I may here call attention to a marked feature
106 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
of the civil work in Switzerland, in that many
of the most promising young surgeons and
practitioners of the country, after their early
years of study and association with such masters
of their art as Professors Kocher and Roux,
take up their life-work in the smaller towns,
where they build up a reputation in their turn,
second only to that of their erstwhile masters.
The peasants and the general public have,
therefore, at their very doors, up and down
the country side, specialists of a high order
of professional skill. Perhaps in no country
in the world are there specialists so widely
distributed as in Switzerland, much to the
advantage and well-being of the people. These
doctors live hard and frugal lives, and give
their services for fees which in our country
would be considered derisory ; but they lend
lustre to a Sanitary Service which is held in
high esteem by their countrymen, and which
is the admiration of the foreigner within their
gates.
Before concluding this account of the sanitary
organization of Murren, I must add a word
regarding an important branch of that work
inaugurated at the " Manor Farm." This
chalet, the property of an English lady, Miss
Simpkin, served in pre-war days as a pension
for British and American visitors. It was
MEDICAL ARRANGEMENTS 107
beautifully situated, two kilometres from Inter-
laken, on the shore of the Lake of Thoune,
and Miss Simpkin conceived the happy thought
of offering it to the medical authorities as a
convalescent home for soldiers suffering from
neurasthenia, shell shock, heart, etc. The offer
was gladly accepted. Twenty officers and men
were in constant residence there, and it would
be difficult to exaggerate the care and kindness
lavished on them by this devoted lady.
Apart from the treatment afforded by the
ordinary camp organizations, with their associated
hospitals as already described, the principle
was adopted of utilizing, so far as practicable,
the services of specialists in such centres as
Berne, Fribourg, Lausanne, Montreux, Geneva,
etc. We thus find many of the best-known
professors and doctors of Switzerland, some
of whom have a world-wide reputation, actively
engaged in their own hospitals in the service
of the Interned.
At Berne : Professors Kocher, Capt.
Dr. Matti, Dr. Arndt, Dr. Kocher.
At Lausanne : Professor Roux, Dr. Dufour.
x\t Montreux : Dr. Chessex.
At Geneva : Dr. Julliard, Dr. Machard.
At Fribourg: Dr. Clement.
A special Sanitary Establishment was also
created by the " Medecin d'Armee " at Lucerne,
108 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
in June, 1916, with 190 beds and a staff of
eleven doctors, known as the " Armee-Sanitats-
Anstalt," destined for the common use of
the Interned of all nations for operative
work in connection with bone-grafting, tendon-
transplantation, brain and nerve surgery, and
complicated plastic movements. The beds
were distributed as follows : 6 to officers,
and 78 to French, 22 to British, and 84 to
German N.C.Os. and men, the different nation-
alities being accommodated in different wards.
This hospital was well equipped from a scientific
point of view, and was supplemented by annexes
to which the convalescents were transferred.
The annexe set aside for the British was the
congeries of chalets at Seebourg, four kilometres
from Lucerne, owned by the London Polytechnic
Society. This was kindly placed at my disposal
by the Society, and was further utilized for the
accommodation of men attending the classes
for technical instruction established under
the auspices of the B.R.C.S., London. The
" A.S.A.," however, proving unequal to the
ever-increasing strain, had to be supplemented
on September 8, 1916, by the addition at the
" Clinique Generale," Geneva, under the direction
of Dr. Julliard, of a service for the treatment
of lesions of the jaw and face. Another service
was also opened by Dr. Machard, at Geneva,
MEDICAL ARRANGEMENTS 109
and a third by Dr. Matti, at the Salem Hospital,
at Berne, also for lesions of the face and jaw.
The specialization demanded was in this way
gradually placed at the service of the Interned,
but its creation was not the outcome of a day.
The year 1916 was a transition period of trial
and evolution, during which many mistakes
were made, but which ended in the development
of an efficient organization capable of meeting
all demands. That the Swiss Sanitary Service,
both in its military and civil branches, should
have met so readily demands of so unprecedented
a nature, shows a remarkable spirit of originality
and adaptability, which is deserving of record
and acknowledgment.
One other special establishment, set apart
in 1917 for the use of the Allies, was that of
the Fribourg Hospital. Early in that year I
received a visit from the Comtesse de Zurich
de Reynolds, informing me of a scheme initiated
by herself and the Baronne de Montenach,
both residents of Fribourg, for the equipment
of a large hospital on the outskirts of the town,
built originally by the municipality as a Maternity
Hospital, but which for financial reasons had
never been opened as such. The municipal
authorities had expressed their willingness to
hand over the building as a Military Hospital
dedicated to the use of the Allies for the period
110 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
of the war, and funds were being collected
with the intention of transferring it, after equip-
ment, to the " Medecin d'Armee." The hospital
was calculated to provide beds for about 120
officers and men, at a cost originally estimated
at frs. 100,000. Of this sum, frs. 75,000 had
already been promised, by French Red Cross
sources, to Mme. de Montenach, who was devoting
herself more especially to the Franco-Belgian
side of the question.
An examination of the building showed me
that it was eminently suited for the purpose,
and a visit to Fribourg made it clear that the
medical faculty of the town, as well as the
authorities, were deeply interested in the scheme.
The " Medecin d'Armee " also adopted it with
warm approval, but told me that the funds
allocated to him by the Allies would not admit
of the capital expenditure involved. As we
were at that time awaiting the arrival of a
fresh British contingent from Germany, for
whom further hospital accommodation was
most desirable, the scheme made a strong appeal
to me, and I felt no hesitation in placing it
before the British Red Cross Society in London,
with a request for a donation of frs. 30,000.
This sum was immediately placed at my disposal,
and in a very short time the ladies at Fribourg
had the satisfaction of transferring to the
MEDICAL ARRANGEMENTS 111
" Medecin d'Armee " a hospital equipped from
top to bottom, the total expenditure being
about frs. 150,000 in all.
Here some forty of our soldiers lay side by
side with the French and Belgians, and benefited
greatly by the highly skilled work of Captain
Dr. Clement and his able assistants. Mme. de
Zurich de Reynolds was untiring in her interest
in and kindness to our men, as well as their
Allied comrades. I am happy to be able to
cite this as one amongst the many instances
of kindness and practical sympathy of our
Swiss friends.
It gives me pleasure to record the fact that
the Swiss surgeons often spoke to me of the
cheeriness of our men whilst under treatment,
their quiet acceptance of operative work, and
their powers of endurance. One surgeon, when
commenting on these temperamental qualities,
accounted for them b}^ the love of the British
for the open air life, their addiction to sport,
and the quality of their diet.
In preparing a comparative return of mortality
in Switzerland during the years 1916 and 1917,
I found, to nry surprise, that the percentage
of loss by death of Interned French and Belgians
more than doubled that of the British. I
understood from my French colleague, Comte
de Manneville, that his figures by no means
112 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
represented the total losses of his countrymen,
as so many of them had, on arrival in Switzer-
land, been repatriated as " grands blesses."
How many of them had died in France he could
not tell, but doubtless a considerable number,
as the majority were in the last stages of tuber-
culosis. That fell disease appears to have been
more common to the French than to the British
whilst in captivity in Germany.
The mortality amongst the British in Switzer-
land from all causes during the years 1916
and 1917, out of an average of about 2,000
men, amounted to fourteen only, most of whom
died of tuberculosis, pneumonia, or accident —
a gratifying record as far as Swiss surgeons
are concerned, when the sum total of their
surgical work is taken into account.
Many of the Leysin patients had been sent out
of Germany by the Itinerant Commissions on
the mere suspicion of tuberculosis, and these
men failed to understand that their condition
could be in any way dangerous. The restrictions
imposed as regards smoking, drinking, and
exercise, the lying out in the open in a recumbent
attitude, exposed to sun and air for six to eight
hours per diem, and the general want of freedom
thereby involved, proved extremely trying to
them, and they were, I am afraid, often a thorn
in the side of the medical officers. On one
MEDICAL ARRANGEMENTS 113
occasion they persuaded the doctors to give
them permission to play a friendly game of
football with other enthusiasts of the camp,
with results disastrous to certain of their number,
who realized, perhaps for the first time, that
unusual strain could only lead to hemorrhage
or other evils of a cognate nature.
A large proportion of the sick were drafted
to Chateau d'Oex, or Miirren, as completely
cured, after a residence at Leysin from six
months to a year. The percentage of incurables
was small, and there is no doubt in my mind
that the treatment, as practised in the Swiss
Sanatoria, is of immense advantage to those
not far advanced in the disease.
As regards an important branch of treatment,
viz., that of dentistry, provision was made
by the " Medecin d'Armee " as part of the
ordinary medical work. This, however, owing
to the strain imposed by the mobilization of
the Swiss Army, proved totally inadequate,
and it was a great relief to me when, in June,
1916, I received a letter from Mr. Joseph A.
Woods, M.D.S., L.D.S., offering me his personal
service in Switzerland. He wrote to me as
follows : —
" My proposition would be to go to some
suitable centre for, say, one month. I would
take all necessary instruments and supplies and
9
114 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
would attend to any Interned who would care
and need to have such treatment. The whole
service would be entirely gratuitous, whether
to officers or men, and, as far as possible, I
would, in addition to operative treatment, fit
artificial dentures or make splints or other
appliances in any cases of jaw injuries. I would
be personally responsible for the expenses. I
should, of course, accept any regulations or
conditions which may be in force and would
loyally fall in with them."
This generous proposition naturally commended
itself to me, and with the approval of the " Mede-
cin d'Arm6e," and the sanction of the War
Office, Mr. Woods was appointed Head Dental
Surgeon to the British Interned. He immediately
closed down his private practice at Liverpool,
and exactly three weeks later reached Berne,
bringing with him a large stock of instruments
and general dental supplies. It was a good
thing he did so, for all such stocks had run
very low in Switzerland, and the problem of
supply has since then become increasingly
difficult. Mr. Woods, at my request, made
Miirren his centre, and within a few days most
of the officers and 200 men were on his register
as prospective patients. His original offer to
remain one month was extended to three, and
then as the work increased, owing to fresh
MEDICAL ARRANGEMENTS 115
arrivals from Germany, he decided, on my
representations, to remain for a much longer
period, and in fact only left the country when
the camps were closed down on the repatriation
of all Ps. of W. in the autumn of 1918, having
thus completed two years and four months
voluntary service with British troops in Switzer-
land. The camps at Interlaken (where he
fitted up an additional surgery), Gunten,
Meiringen, Seebourg, Leysin and Chateau
d'Oex, also came within his purview at one
time or another. Leysin and Chateau d'Oex
were subsequently, in August, 1917, placed
in dental charge of Mr. W. I. Law, L.D.S.,
where the work was almost as heavy as at
Miirren. Mr. Law's expenses were defrayed
by the North-Midland Branch of the British
Dental Association, supplemented by a dona-
tion from the B.R.C.S., London. The ser-
vices of Mr. Woods were entirely hono-
rary : all expenses, both professional and
personal, were met by him, and no fees
or charges of any sort were accepted under
any circumstances.
The following summary will give some idea
of the magnitude of his work : —
Total number of patients treated . . 1,229
Visits 6,033
Operations.. .. .. .. .. 9,725
Restorations (dentures), etc. . . . . 673
116 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
Mr. Woods laid hiniwself out to give as full
dental treatment as though he were in his own
private consulting-room at home, and to avoid
the suggestion or appearance of merely giving
the bare essentials of dental treatment. The
fact that 99 per cent, of the officers, and about
80 per cent, of the men, consulted him, shows
how entirely he obtained the confidence of
all ranks, and how necessary a dental service
was. He was able, by a series of lectures and
demonstrations, to impress upon all his patients
the extreme importance of dental hygiene.
Writing on the subject of his work, he mentions
that, like all other members of his profession,
he had been anxious since the outbreak of the
war to be of service to his fellow-countrymen,
and when he saw that Ps. of W. were being
transferred to Switzerland, he felt an over-
powering desire to offer a dental service to them.
That this loving desire has received a wonderful
fulfilment, the foregoing record amply shows,
a fulfilment towards which he was so well
assisted by Mrs. Woods, who gave up all her time
and strength in the furtherance of her husband's
task. It is a pleasure to add that Mr. Woods
received the heartiest support of Captain Dr.
Llopart, the Directing Medical Officer at Miirren,
and of the Swiss Dental Service.
As regards the provision of artificial limbs,
MEDICAL ARRANGEMENTS 117
it is casting no slur on the Swiss medical authori-
ties and Swiss artisans to say that they were
unable to meet the demands of the Interned.
In Switzerland, as in other countries, trained
artisans skilled in this class of work were lacking,
and the type of limb in use was in no wise
suitable for the demands of modern life ; in
short, good artificial limbs were unprocurable
in the country, and though some of the men
were fitted out locally, the majority preferred to
wait in the hope that a more suitably-designed
limb would have been evolved before their
return to England. A few officers were supplied
with artificial legs by a Lyons firm, with which
they were satisfied at the time, but whether
these compared favourably with the home
product I have not heard. Lady Dorothy
Dalrymple did useful service at Chateau d'Oex
in supplying peg-legs, which proved most useful.
A few words here as to the expenses caused
by the administration and the medical care
of the Interned will not be out of place. The
foreign Governments concerned engaged to
pay to the Swiss Government, in liquidation
of these expenses, 50 centimes per diem for every
officer and man interned, with an additional
sum of 50 centimes for those under treatment
for tuberculosis. This payment covered charges
for the pay and allowances of all Swiss officers
118 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
and men engaged in the service of the Interned ;
hospital expenses of every kind and nature
except food ; hire of offices and expenses of
installation ; allowances to Interned men working
in the administrative offices of the Interned,
or employed as masseurs, etc. ; also the laundry
of officers and men.
It was only by the exercise of a careful economy
that the expenditure was maintained within
the limits agreed upon, but I understand that,
as the Internment developed, the funds placed
at the disposal of the Swiss Government were
found sufficient for the purpose.
CHAPTER IX
MEDICAL AND SURGICAL TREATMENT OF THE
INTERNED— INSPECTION BY LIEUT.-COLONEL
SIR R. JONES, R.A.M.C.
OUR men had not long been settled at
Chateau d'Oex when they were inspected
by Colonel Hauser, who mentioned to me his
surprise at rinding an unusually high percentage
in need of surgical treatment, the percentage
being much higher than in the case of the French,
Belgian, or German Interned. He appeared
to be satisfied at the time with the adequacy of
the medical and surgical arrangements at our
disposal, but expressed some concern at a feeling,
common to both officers and men, that their
surgical treatment was being unduly delayed.
He said that the same feeling had prevailed
amongst the French and Belgians at an earlier
date of the Internment, but that this was based
upon a totally erroneous impression. Patients,
in their anxiety for an early restoration to health
and activity, often failed to realize the danger
of premature operative work, and he had been
its
120 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
forced to direct his surgeons to exercise due
caution. Recrudescent purulent outbreaks had
already occurred amongst the French, with
fatal consequences, as the result of premature
work, and he was determined that his surgeons
should not in the future be led away by any
signs of impatience on the part of the Interned.
He begged me to believe that his officers were
acting in the interests of each individual officer
and man, and that if operations were deferred,
there was good reason for the decision taken.
He had evidently warned Major Mercanton, the
" Chef de Region," of the necessity for caution
in certain classes of surgical work, for, whilst
accompanying the first train conveying the men
from Montreux to Chateau d'Oex, I was present
when a conversation on this subject took place
between the latter and Captain de la Chaux,
the D.M.O. of the camp. Major Mercanton
warned his subordinates of the advisability
of proceeding slowly in the first instance. Apart
from the necessity of dealing with urgent
cases as they might arise, he recommended
a rest of at least a month, in order that the
effect of good food and change of climate might
be watched before any operative work was
undertaken. He also dwelt at length on the
danger of blood-poisoning due to the foci of
bacteria. I felt at the time that whatever
MEDICAL TREATMENT 121
minor evils might result from excessive caution,
the greater evil of premature surgery would,
within the limits of human judgment, be
avoided.
It was a matter of interest to me to learn from
Colonel Hauser that, as in the case of the French
and Belgian Interned, his officers were already
being criticized as a result of this cautious
attitude, and that the criticism amounted to
a suspicion of neglect. This suspicion may
have been aggravated to some extent by a feeling
amongst certain of the officers that reasonable
facilities were not being granted them for treat-
ment by private Specialists. The regulations
affecting this question gave the officer the
right of consultation with, and treatment by, a
Specialist, but with the proviso that the charges
incurred should be debited to the Sanitary De-
partment only, when the necessity for calling in
the Specialist had been allowed by the responsible
camp doctor. In the case of his non-approval,
the charge had to be met from the private
purse of the officer. The D.M.Os. took the
point of view that, in the majority of cases,
treatment could be as well conducted in the
camp by the regular Medical Staff as by the
Specialist, and as trustees for the proper ex-
penditure of the funds placed at their disposal
by our Government, they did not feel themselves
122 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
justified in employing the Specialist in other
than exceptional cases. The charges involved
by this latter procedure would, of course, have
proved heavier than in the former, and though
they did not attach undue importance to the
financial side of the question, they did not
feel inclined to ignore it altogether. On the
one hand, the medical officers complained of
the capricious nature of the demands made
by our officers for specialized treatment, when
the ordinary camp treatment would have amply
sufficed, and held the opinion that the latter
had no regard whatever for the financial interests
of our Government. On the other hand, our
officers cast doubts on the qualit}^ of the pro-
fessional skill available in the camp, and criticized
the cheese-paring policy of the medical officers.
The one view was directly opposed to the
other, and it looked as though it would be
difficult to arrive at an understanding on the
question. The conclusion which, after con-
versations with both sides, I personally came
to was, that the camp doctors (I am only
speaking of Chateau d'Oex, for the same diffi-
culty was not experienced elsewhere) were
disposed to adhere too closely to the letter
of their instructions, and were not sufficiently
flexible in their dealings with either officers
or men. They were too inclined to treat our
MEDICAL TREATMENT 123
soldiers as they would their own Swiss com-
patriots ; a great mistake, as, in doing so,
they made no allowance for the weaknesses
and suspicions of men who had been subjected
to hardships of a trying nature during a period
of long confinement, and whose nerves were
vibrating and sensitive to a degree. Moreover,
the mentalities of the Swiss and British soldier
were verj' different, and to judge of one soldier
by the other could only lead to error and mis-
understanding.
I discussed this question with Colonel Hauser,
who spoke to me on the subject with the utmost
frankness. It was apparently all the more easy
for him to do so, as he had already been through
the same phase of doubt and dissatisfaction
with the Interned of our Allies, and had suc-
ceeded in proving to their satisfaction that all
was well with their medical treatment. He
pointed out that the conditions under which
our men were being treated were, when compared
with those of the Swiss soldier, exceptionally
favourable, and this I believe to have been the
case. It was true, he said, that in respect
of food, nursing, etc., no comparison could be
drawn, as either the circumstances differed,
or the system adopted varied in our respective
countries in a greater or less degree, but we could
not expect the Swiss Government to adapt
124 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
itself to the idiosyncracies of the soldiers of
any one nationality ; we must be prepared
to judge by results. He could only deplore
the lack of confidence displayed towards his
Staff at Chateau d'Oex, and thought that our
officers were over critical.
I, in reply, stated that I was at a disadvantage
in having no qualified British doctor to assist
me, and suggested that a visit of inspection
by a distinguished British surgeon would, in
all probability, serve to allay suspicion on the
part of the Interned, and bring about a better
feeling between his Staff and our men. He
met the suggestion with enthusiasm, and said
that both he and his Staff would welcome such
a visit. Any officer nominated by the War
Office for the purpose would be warmly received,
and be given every facility to make himself
acquainted with the conditions which determine
the care and treatment of our Interned, and the
attitude of the Swiss Sanitary Service towards
them. He would be more especially pleased
to see a medical expert of international reputation,
as his doctors would have much to gain from
an expert of wide experience.
Thereupon, I lost no time in making the
situation clear to the Authorities at home,
and asked that a surgeon of standing should be
sent to inspect and report on the medical treat-
MEDICAL TREATMENT 125
ment, and to advise me as to the sufficiency
or otherwise of the care bestowed upon our
officers and men. Some delay took place before
the right man could be found, but at last Lieut. -
Colonel Robert Jones, R.A.M.C. (now Sir
Robert Jones), the distinguished inspector of
Military Orthopaedics in Great Britain, was
nominated for the purpose by Sir Alfred Keogh,
K.C.B., Director-General A.M.S., and arrived
in Berne on December 22, 1916.
He commenced his inspection at once, and
in due course visited the camps at Miirren,
Chateau d'Oex, Ley sin, and the hospitals
affiliated to these camps at Interlaken, Berne,
and Lucerne. Shortly before his arrival, a
contingent of Ps. of W. had reached Switzerland
from Germany, and he therefore had an oppor-
tunity in each of the camps of comparing the
conditions of these newly-arrived men with
those who had been in residence in Switzerland
for some time, a matter, to my mind, of great
importance, as Colonel Hauser had contended
that the true test of the efficiency of his Sanitary
Service could best be demonstrated by results,
the methods by which those results were achieved
being of secondary importance. In principle,
I agreed with this view, and looked upon it
as a very happy circumstance that the arrival
of this contingent had coincided with that of
126 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
Colonel Jones, who would be able to apply this
test when making his examinations.
As regards the medicine and surgery practised
in the camps, Colonel Jones found the doctors to
be well-informed young practitioners, who had
undergone a sound modern training. Assisting at
an emergenc}^ operation, conducted by Captain
Dr. Brustlein, at Chateau d'Oex, he writes :
The technique was good, and the theatre staff compared
quite favourably with many more ambitious theatres at
home. This experience gave me confidence with regard
to the conduct of emergency operations in this camp.
Neither at Miirren nor at Leysin is there an operating theatre
in the camp. This is as it should be, as at neither place is
there a surgeon qualified for serious surgical emergencies.
Should such emergencies arise, an operating surgeon would
be telephoned for from Interlaken or from Montreux.
The character of the cases is very similar to those which
we find in the ordinary British Military Hospital. . . .
I was much pleased to find that the Swiss doctors were
conservative, and did not show an undue haste to operate.
They were beginning to learn of the dangers of recrudescent
purulent outbreaks in those instances where operations were
performed too early. This delay, in one of the camps, has
given rise to suspicion of neglect, a suspicion which I took
pains to dissipate. . . .
The treatment of the Swiss doctors was quite equal
to that which we find in a well-conducted auxiliary hospital
at home, and the facilities offered the men to consult specia-
lists were even greater than we often find to be the case at
home.
Our soldiers are very well situated in all the camps,
from the point of view of access to specialists. Berne,
Lucerne, Montreux, and Lausanne contain most dis-
MEDICAL TREATMENT 127
tinguished surgeons — many of them of international reputa-
tion. Careful inquiry proved to my satisfaction that when-
ever really necessary a consultation was allowed. These
consultations, as long as recommended by the Directing
Medical Officer, were never charged to British officers or
men. I questioned the medical officers as to the specialists
recommended, and was satisfied they were well-known
men. If officers desired to consult any special man
other than the person recommended by the D.M.O.
no objection is taken to it, and so long as the D.M.O.
thinks the consultation necessary, no charge is made
for it. Occasions sometimes arise when an officer visits
a specialist without consulting the D.M.O. and in that
case he pa}rs his own expenses. It is always advisable
that the officer should consult the D.M.O. before seeking
the advice of the specialist, as it sometimes happens that
the officer chooses a surgeon with a brilliant abdominal
reputation, when he should have consulted a specialist
versed in bones. I had a long talk with the officers on
this subject, and explained to them that they were as well
off in the matter of expert opinion as if they lived in
London.
The nursing was mostly of a comparatively unskilled
type. Women nurses were not encouraged, and the duties
were performed by orderlies who had undergone instruction.
The disadvantage of this was largely counteracted by the
fact that the surgeons themselves dressed their cases.
There are too few masseurs. I spoke of this, and I learn
that the shortage is to be remedied. The Swiss authorities
are to start a School of Massage, which several of our men
will attend. This may easily prove to be a vocation of
advantage to them after the war.
I visited several of the hospitals where the more serious
cases had been removed for operation. I found the surgeons
keen and very interested in their patients, and the hospital
accommodation quite good. The food was excellent, and
I could hear no complaints. In these various hospitals
every type of operative work is done, such as bone-grafting.
128 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
tendon-transplantation, brain and nerve surgery, and com-
plicated plastic operations. I had long conversations
with the staffs, and am now well aware of their views and
methods of procedure. They seemed thoughtful, conscien-
tious and careful men, and I feel our wounded are safe in
their hands.
I found the British officers wanted encouragement,
and I trust I was able to cheer many of them by truthfully
assuring them of their recovery after the war. I endeavoured
to instil into them a spirit of confidence in the doctors with
whom they had to deal. In certain more complicated cases
I suggested that the final operation should be performed
upon them on their return. I think I examined every
officer.
In respect of the general condition of the
men, Colonel Jones writes : —
The newly arrived seemed indifferently nourished, many
of them dazed, and some apprehensive of those in authority.
After a very short time, so I am informed, these conditions
are overcome, and the men become cheerful and trustful.
The condition of those who had been in camp in Switzerland
for longer periods was very satisfactory. They looked well
and felt happy, and I had opportunities of examining their
charts, and noted that they soon began to fatten after
arriving in camp. Indeed, they represented generally a
well-conditioned body of men. Many spoke well of their
treatment by the Swiss officials, and seemed to fraternize
with the villagers, with whom they were in general accord.
The three camps (Miirren, Chateau d'Oex, and Leysin)
are admirably chosen . . . and the residential establishments
for the men comprise most of the well-known hotels of the
district. It would be difficult to conceive of more appro-
priate or delightful surroundings for men who have returned
from German prisons.
MEDICAL TREATMENT 129
Summarizing his experience of the camps,
Colonel Jones stated that : —
The sanitation and housing were excellent ; the feeding
good in quality and plentiful ; the Swiss doctors in charge
well trained and attentive, and quite competent ; the
specialists extremely good, and every reasonable facility
afforded for consulting them ; the General Hospitals for
serious cases were staffed by competent and often dis-
tinguished surgeons.
This visit of Colonel Jones, and the satisfactory
nature of the report, once and for all set my
mind at rest as to the general efficiency of the
service and the skill of the medical officers,
and certainly had a tranquillizing effect on
the majority of our own officers and men. The
contrast between the condition of the recent
arrivals and those who had been in residence
for some time was most marked, and furnished
a proof of the almost miraculous change effected
by the climate, the freedom from anxiety,
and the good work of the doctors. In every
camp the two classes of men were paraded
for inspection side by side, and the difference
in their mental outlook and physical condition
was of a marked nature.
Further confirmation of the activities of the
Swiss doctors reached me about this time from
another quarter. Having regard to the great
mass of Ps. of W. arriving in Switzerland, the
10
130 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
majority of whom had received insufficient
treatment in Germany, the " Medecin d'Armee "
found it necessary to call for an objective and
uniform examination of all wounded men,
with a view to obtaining detailed indications
for the treatment of their wounds, and in Septem-
ber, 1916, Dr. Matti, a distinguished specialist
of Berne, was charged with the duty of visiting
the " regions," and of examining every case
where surgical and orthopsedic treatment was
in question. In December this order was
modified, the " regions " being divided into
four zones, for each of which a Specialist was
nominated. The result of these examinations
was communicated to me in due course, supple-
menting, and, I am glad to say, confirming,
the conclusions drawn, quite independently, by
Colonel Jones.
CHAPTER X
SWISS ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE EMPLOYMENT
OF THE INTERNED— DIVISION INTO CATE-
GORIES TO CORRESPOND TO DEGREE OF
VALIDITY— TECHNICAL AND EDUCATIONAL
INSTRUCTION— WORKSHOPS AND FACTORIES
THE employment of the Interned became at
an early date the object of much solicitude
on the part of the Swiss Government and the
Swiss public, and it was soon recognized that
the best tonic for repairing the ravages caused
by sickness, wounds, and a long captivity,
was to be found in the restoration of the soldier
to a state of activity approximating to the
normal, by bringing him into touch with the
ordinary conditions of civil life. For this purpose
it was necessary to find work, study, or occupa-
tion for all those whose physical and mental
conditions were still adapted for that purpose.
Instructions were issued by Colonel Hauser
in April, 1916, by which the D.M.O.s. were
made responsible for the occupation of the In-
terned in a manner appropriate to the state
131
132 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
of their health, and it was laid down as a
principle that the work assigned was no longer
to be treated as voluntary, but was to be made
obligatory. Any refusal to work was to be
severely punished. Nothing was said as to
the method of procuring such occupation or
of its organization. These instructions, there-
fore, proved of little practical value, beyond
focussing the attention of the responsible Swiss
officers on the subject. It was soon realized
that many of the wounded and sick had been
utterly and permanently broken down by
their sufferings, whilst others were quickly re-
covering their physical, moral, and intellectual
stamina.
To meet these varying conditions, an order
was published on July 8, 1916, with the approval
of the Political Department, classifying the
Interned into six categories : —
1. Those incapable of all work.
2. Those partially capable, and fit for employ-
ment in the residential establishments as postal
orderlies, waiters, etc.
3. Those partially capable, and fit for a few
hours' work in the camps and workshops.
4. Those capable of a full day's work, and
employable as labourers or mechanics.
5. Young apprentices who, owing to invalidity,
are forced to learn a new trade.
EMPLOYMENT OF THE INTERNED 133
6. Students wishing to continue their studies
at the universities or schools of Switzerland.
The employment of categories 2, 3, and 5
was deputed to the D.M.O.s ; category 4 to
special commissions set up in regional centres ;
category 6 to a University Committee. The
" D.M.Os. " were invited to place themselves in
touch with a Society known as " Pro Captivis,"
with a view to the employment of men of
category 3.
The " Pro Captivis " was originally founded
at Berne at the commencement of 1915 by
Monsieur Jean Bernouilli, as a complement to
the International Committee of the Red Cross
at Geneva, whose work under the direction
of Monsieur Ador is so well known. Later,
it occupied itself for a time as a " Bureau de
Secours " for the despatch of parcels to German
and Austrian Ps. of W. It then changed its
complexion by becoming an exclusively Swiss
neutral Society, under the direction of Mme. de
Sprecher (wife of the Chief of the General Staff),
who offered its assistance to the " Medecin
d'Armee " for the organization of the work en-
tailed by the washing and repairs of the linen of
the Interned. This offer was accepted, and, in
co-operation with Swiss women of all classes,
an efficient service was created for the purpose.
It then turned its attention to the employment
134 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
of the Interned, and opened workshops at
Brunnen for the making of shoes, and at Meirin-
gen for tannery. It also organized classes
for the instruction of apprentices. These enter-
prises received official support, and were subsi-
dized by the Swiss Q.M.G. Department.
By the end of 1916, the "Pro Captivis "
had in hand fifty workshops, of which thirty
were in German, and twenty in French, Switzer-
land, giving occupation to about 1,140 men.
Other enterprises of a similar kind were
created by private initiative. Colonel Luthard,
of the French Red Cross, for instance, founded
several ateliers at Leysin and elsewhere for
the benefit of the French Interned. Some of
them joined up with the " Pro Captivis," others
retained their autonomy. A model institution
of the latter class was that founded in August,
1916, at Vevey, and known as " T.I.M." (Travail
Internes Militaires). It was installed in an
unused building of Messrs. Peter Cailler and
Kohler. Here toys, furniture, and fancy articles
were manufactured. Commencing with ten work-
men, work was finally found for fifty-seven.
All these workshops were organized on the
same principle, with an interned officer or N.C.O.
in charge. Raw materials were procured by
the Managing Committees, the output in finished
articles being disposed of in Switzerland by the
EMPLOYMENT OF THE INTERNED 135
Management for the benefit of their societies.
The men were employed, as a rule, for four to
five hours per diem, at an average remuneration
of fr. 1 for the day's work.
In December, 1916, it was seen that the
business of the " Pro Captivis " was being
run at a loss, and it was decided to detach
this work from the Society and transfer it to
the Central Administration of the " Medecin
d'Armee " at Berne. This reform was duly
effected, the existing deficit being made good
by the Q.M.G. Department, which was hence-
forth made responsible for the administration
of the numerous existing " Pro Captivis " work-
shops, the services of Madame von Sprccher
being still retained as Lady Director. The
aforementioned organization was intended almost
exclusively for the employment and instruction
of categories 3 and 5.
Those coming under category 4 were not
being neglected, and factories were set up in
January, 1917, for the manufacture of goods
intended for sale abroad. These factories were
established under the patronage of the officers
in charge of the Interned, under the title of
national workshops ("ateliers nationaux "), those
of the French being controlled by Count de
Manneville, who occupied the same position
towards his interned compatriots as I did towards
136 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
the British. This enterprise more especially
affected French and German Ps. of W., as
they alone had their markets near at hand,
and, consequently, were not faced with any
special difficulty either as regards the import
of raw materials, or the export of the manu-
factured product. The Political Department gave
its consent to the creation of these so-called
national workshops for category 4 men, on the
understanding that a market for their output
should be found abroad, in order that Swiss
industry and Swiss workers should not suffer
from competition.
In due course factories for German Interned
were installed for : —
(a) Carpentry and woodwork, at Saint-Gall.
(b) Leather goods and orthopaedic apparatus,
at Stansstad.
(c) Toys, at Vitznau.
(d) Metal work, at Rorschach.
Other developments followed.
Some of the French workshops were financed
and directed as matters of national concern,
the French Red Cross taking a leading part
in the matter ; others were set up by French
industrials as a business speculation, machinery
and tools being imported from France. The
manufacture of furniture and huts received
special encouragement from the French Govern-
EMPLOYMENT OF THE INTERNED 137
ment, as these articles were required in large
quantities for the restoration of the provinces
occupied by the enemy in Northern France.
Clogs and metal work also found a ready outlet,
facilities for import into France being accorded
by the French Government. The men employed
in the factories were, as a rule, those who had
been employed in similar work in France and
Belgium in pre-war days.
I am indebted to Dr. Garnett, my technical
adviser, for some details of the work done by
the French, from which I extract the following : —
It has to be borne in mind that the British Army of
August, 1914, consisted almost exclusively of professional
soldiers, while the French Army consisted largely of trades-
men.
Wherever the French were located, nearly every available
workshop, especially if provided with electric power, was
secured by them, and turned to more or less profitable
purposes. The most remarkable example was at Spiez,
where the workshops used by the contractor for the electri-
fication of the Lotschberg Railway had been equipped by
a French firm. Fifty men were employed in two relays,
working eight hours each, and they turned out 2,000 pairs
of sabots daily, using about three tons of sawn birch timber
every day. The sabots were sent at once to France. The
men were paid 50 centimes an hour (about frs. 24 a week).
I could not avoid the conclusion that the French employer
was to some extent exploiting prisoners' labour. At the
same time, it was much better that the men should be
employed than that they should be idle.
At Champery the French had leased a sawmill and a
joiner's shop with machine tools, and were making huts
138 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
for re-housing the people in the devastated regions of north-
east France. This work was under the auspices of the
French Red Cross. The huts were built in panels 1£ metres
square, and put together by bolts and nuts. For railway
transport they packed solid. Associated with the hut
building was the furniture manufacture, carried on in several
of the French centres. The furniture was made in birch
and pine, and, like the huts, packed solid. Another remark-
able industry was the framing in birch wood of school
slates for the French schools. The slates were quarried
between Frutigen and Adelboden ; they were cut to size
at the quarries and finished at Adelboden.
At Adelboden the Belgians had a weaving shed, with
hand looms capable of turning out linen 2 metres in width.
At Vevey a French Colonial officer, had established the
" T.I.M." This appeared to be a purely commercial
undertaking where unskilled labour made saleable goods,
which comprised bags, wire rat-traps, wire for champagne
corks, kitchen utensils, etc. In connection with the
majority of this work it was hard to believe that the
training would be of value to the men when they returned
to France.
At Leysin the French had secured an unfinished hotel,
and as there were no windows the men had the advantage
of working almost in the open air. Excellent work was
done in small cabinet work and French polishing. A
modeller with four or five assistants made models of the
Kaiser and Crown Prince in plaster, which were painted by
a specialist. The demand was so great I could not purchase
one. Another man with four or five assistants was making
paper-knives from wire nails about 20 cm. long and 1 cm.
in diameter. This industry was learned, I understand,
from Russian prisoners in Germany. At Meiringen the
French had a workshop for light leather work and another
for rope slippers.
There was little about the work in general that could be
regarded as systematically educational, though the assistants
EMPLOYMENT OF THE INTERNED 139
had the opportunity of learning as apprentices. With few
exceptions, the educational element was entirely lacking.
Attention was also directed by our Allies to
other fields of employment. On the initiative
of the French Embassy and the Belgian Legation
at Berne, an orchestra was formed at Montreux,
and was assimilated from the point of view
of administration and finance to the system
of national workshops. This orchestra was
composed of Interned professional musicians,
and was placed under the leadership of Monsieur
Marc de Ranse, a well-known French musician,
who drifted into Switzerland as a P. of W.
after a long period of captivity in Germany.
British musicians were asked to join this orchestra,
though few availed themselves of the privilege,
as most of our bandsmen preferred service
in the camp orchestras at Chateau d'Oex,
Miirren, and Leysin. Monsieur de Ranse made
many tours in the Cantons of Vaud, Geneva,
and the Bernese Oberland, where his orchestra
met with a well-merited success.
Arrangements were also made for the employ-
ment of category 4 (full-day workers) in the
workshops, factories, and farms of the country,
and for this purpose Labour Commissions were
set up at Berne, Lausanne, Lucerne, and Zurich.
These regional Commissions, on receipt of a
demand by an employer for the services of an
140 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
Interned, were called upon to satisfy themselves
that — (1) The employer was in a position to
carry out his engagements, and (2) The employ-
ment proposed was not detrimental to the
interests of the Swiss workmen. If the investiga-
tion proved satisfactory, the demand was referred
to a Central Labour Commission at Berne,
where it was again examined, and, if approved,
was transmitted through the " Medecin d'Armee"
at Berne to the camp authorities, by whom
it was dealt with. The system gave rise to
vexatious delay, but in the end the employers'
demand was, as a rule, satisfied. Men so employed
were paid the same rates as Swiss labourers
or artisans of the same class, and were obliged
to provide their own board and lodging.
During the period of their contract they ceased
to receive the frs. 4-5 per diem allocated
by the Swiss Government for the entertainment
of Ps. of W. in Switzerland, an exception, how-
ever, being made for men working in the open
air, such as labourers, masons, or wood-cutters,
for whom such daily grant continued to be
paid on Sundays and other non-working days.
It is of interest, in connection with the French,
to record the fact that the Swiss Federal Depart-
ment of the Interior was much pre-occupied
with the question of the preservation of walnut-
trees. As a means to that end, grafting (greffage)
EMPLOYMENT OF THE INTERNED 141
as practised in France, but the method of which
was unknown to the Swiss, was considered of
great importance. Instructors were accordingly
recruited from amongst the French Interned,
and in January, 1917, as many as twenty men
were engaged in imparting their knowledge
to Swiss gardeners in different parts of the country.
By December 31, 1916, out of a total of 28,081
Ps. of W., consisting of 1,879 British, 15,574
French, 1,893 Belgians, 8,504 Germans, and
231 Austrians, only 818 men of category 4
had found employment through the intermediary
of the Labour Commissions, and even this limited
number was distributed amongst as many as
741 different Swiss masters.
As regards general and technical education,
schools (" ecoles nationales ") were formed under
the auspices of the officers in charge of the
Interned. I am writing now only of the French,
Belgians, and Germans. With the French and
Belgians, attention was directed to general
education in elementary subjects, languages,
literature, commerce and accounts, and to technical
instruction in agriculture, aviculture, designing,
and telegraphy.
The Germans appear to have interested them-
selves in languages, English and Spanish being
specially favoured. Other subjects were short-
hand, accounts, geography, and commerce,
142 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
whilst technical instruction was also given in
fruit and vegetable culture, forestry, chemistry,
and mining. The aforesaid subjects cover a
wide field, but only a limited number of students
were able to avail themselves of the facilities
offered.
Funds for the above purposes were provided,
directly by the Governments concerned, and
indirectly by private individuals and public
societies.
To make provision for the needs of category
6, i.e. of officers and men wishing to continue
their studies at the universities or schools of
Switzerland, " L'CEuvre Universitaire Suisse "
was founded in June, 1915, with a central office
at Lausanne. This body assumed responsibility
for the intellectual patronage of the Interned.
In September, 1915, a decision was taken author-
izing the Interned to follow university or college
courses in the principal intellectual centres of
the country, and local Committees of the " (Euvre "
were formed for the purpose of assisting the
students at the Universities of Bale, Berne,
Fribourg, Geneva, Lausanne, Neuchatel, and
Zurich.
A special subdivision of the Interned, too,
comprising all these centres, was instituted
under the general direction of Colonel George
de Montmollin, of Neuchatel, and at each centre
EMPLOYMENT OF THE INTERNED 143
a " Commandant de Place " was appointed for
the organization, discipline, and lodging of the
students. Commissions were also nominated in
each region, who pronounced on the eligibility
of the students for inscription at the universities.
In January, 1917, a total of 1,364 students
had inscribed themselves on the rolls of the
universities, of whom 13 were British, 195
Belgians, 749 French, and 407 Germans. For
their administration and discipline, 16 Swiss
officers and 18 N.C.Os. had been designated.
" L'CEuvre Universitaire " arranged that these
students should be exempt from all university
charges, a gracious concession which caused
some comment, as a distinction was thus drawn
unfavourable to the Swiss student, who, in
many cases, was financially less well endowed
than his foreign comrade. The question of
language was a stumbling-block to the generality
of British officers and soldiers, and no amount of
goodwill or zeal could compensate for a want
of French, more particularly as this language
was the medium used by the professors in the
universities open to the British.
CHAPTER XI
EMPLOYMENT OF THE BRITISH INTERNED—
CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS — TECHNICAL
TRAINING— SCHEME OF DR. GARNETT
THE facilities afforded by the Swiss to the
French, Belgian, and German Interned,
as explained in the foregoing chapter, could not,
it will be readily understood, be made applicable
in the same degree to the British Interned, who,
unlike their Allies and enemies, were strangers
in a foreign land, ignorant of the languages
spoken by the people, and, further, apart in race
and habits. There was, moreover, this essential
difference : whereas the French and Germans
were largely drawn from the industrial classes,
and had received a training in civil life, our men,
and especially those who first arrived in Switzer-
land, in May, 1916, were professional soldiers,
enlisted young, and therefore unskilled, and
without technical equipment. Very few could
hope to find work in the factories of Switzerland,
and those classified in category 4, as " capable
of a full day's work," were to all intents and
144
EMPLOYMENT OF THE INTERNED 145
purposes eliminated in so far as the Swiss field
of labour was concerned. Some sort of educa-
tional and technical instruction was, therefore,
in my opinion (I return to this question later),
essential, if these professional soldiers were to
be fitted to take their place in civil life, sooner
or later, on leaving the Army. Even with regard
to the New Army men with technical experience,
the language difficulty was a bar to their employ-
ment by the Swiss.
As a preliminary measure for immediate
practical purposes, shops, such as bootmakers',
carpenters', tailors', barbers', etc., were opened
at Chateau d'Oex, but beyond giving employ-
ment and remuneration to a limited number of
men with some slight experience in these trades,
they served no ulterior purpose.
Very shortly after, however, training on a
more pronounced scale came prominently into
question with the arrival at Miirren of the second
contingent from Germany in August, 1916.
The officers and men of this contingent were in a
better state of health than their comrades who
had preceded them at Chateau d'Oex in May,
1916, and Lieut. -Colonel F. H. Neish, Gordon
Highlanders (S.B.O. at Miirren), found himself
supported by a capable staff of young officers,
keenly anxious to get to work after their long
period of inactivity in Germany. Colonel Neish,
11
146 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
accordingly, at once turned his attention to
the formation of schools, classes, workshops,
etc., thus laying the foundation for a scheme
of technical training which, with the financial
support of the " B.L.R.C.O.," and, at a later
period, the " B.R.C.S.," London, received a
considerable and satisfactory development.
Elementary classes were started for Tele-
graphy, Electricity, Shorthand, Typewriting, and
Motor Engineering. Bookbinding of a simple
nature was taught at both camps in connection
with the circulating libraries ; and a few men
gave their attention to wood-carving, taking
advantage of the Swiss Schools of Art in the
Bernese Oberland.
As regards the schools, it was soon found neces-
sary to add to the staff of teachers, and army
schoolmasters were, at my request, sent out
from England to meet the increasing demand.
The most important of the classes, however,
were those of motor engineering, opened by
Lieut. C. E. Wallis, Loyal North Lancashires,
at Miirren, and by Captain Reynolds at Rossinieres
(Chateau d'Oex), whence men were subsequently
selected to attend a more advanced class estab-
lished later by Lieut. Wallis at Vevey. Of
this I shall have more to say later on.
In the spring of 1917 I was approached by
Mrs. Cook Daniels and Miss Martin, who had
EMPLOYMENT OF THE INTERNED 147
opened a hand-made carpet factory at Gunten,
on the Lake of Thoune, with the object of
giving employment to French and Belgian
Interned quartered at that place. They had
made a success of the enterprise, and offered
to give similar employment to forty or fifty
disabled British soldiers. This number of men
was accordingly gradually drafted to Gunten
from Miirren, where they were continuously
employed until their repatriation in December,
1918. The Gunten carpets obtained a high
reputation in Switzerland, and found a ready
sale in the country. The profits were distrib-
uted to the men in salaries varying from
frs. 3 to 6 per diem, frs. 1*20 being paid for
every 1,000 stitches. These ladies also opened
at their own expense a Club House and Canteen,
which became a social centre for the men of
the whole district. Gunten always struck me
as one of the happiest and best organized of
the Allied communities in the Bernese Oberland,
and reflected great credit on the two ladies who
stood sponsors for its welfare.
With the above exception of the carpet work-
shop, all the classes and workshops at the camps
were financed by the " B.L.R.C.O.," sums being
advanced to the S.B.Os." for the purpose.
At Miirren the management was so successful,
that Colonel Neish was able to refund, out of
148 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
profits, the greater part of the advances made
by the " B.L.R.C.O."
During this period of preliminary organiza-
tion, the number of Interned was constantly
increasing, owing to the arrival of fresh contin-
gents, whilst the health of the men who had been
in the country some months was showing signs
of marked improvement, thus adding to the
sum total of those for whom it was desirable
to find work. For the reasons already given,
any outlet in the factories or workshops in
Switzerland being practically barred, the minds
of our officers were turned to our own schools
and workshops, as offering the most likely and
useful field for the absorption of the surplus
energies still available, and it was calculated
that by developing these so as to provide training
for another 350 men, the needs of the Interned
would be fairly well met. Further develop-
ment at the camps was out of the question,
as every inch of roof space had already been
utilized, and it was determined, therefore, to
look elsewhere for the necessary accommodation.
A step in this direction was taken by the formation
by Lieut. Wallis of the advanced class of motor
engineering at Vevey, on the Lake of Geneva.
So far, the financial arrangements involved
had been commensurate with the funds at the
disposal of the " B.L.R.C.O.," but as the develop-
EMPLOYMENT OF THE INTERNED 149
ments contemplated went far beyond the re-
sources of that Organization, it was realized
that we should have to look farther afield to
meet the increased cost of additional technical
training.
In framing any scheme of advanced technical
training, some knowledge of the probable de-
mands of the home market for skilled labour
under after-war conditions was essential, so
that, in order to prevent any haphazard growth
of the existing Institutes, I addressed myself
in the autumn of 1916 to the War Office, with
the request that a qualified official might be sent
out as my " Technical Adviser " for educational
purposes. The matter was taken in hand, and
in February, 1917, a specialist in the person
of Dr. Garnett was found. Dr. Garnett was
peculiarly well fitted for the part, as he had
occupied the positions of Secretary to the Tech-
nical Education Board, and Adviser to the
London County Council. From 1892 to 1904
he had been responsible for the organization of
the Polytechnics, and for the work carried out
by the London County Council under the
Technical Instruction Act. From 1904 to 1915
he had been closely associated with their work
as Educational Adviser, and in that capacity
had acquired an intimate knowledge of trade
requirements.
150 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
Dr. Garnett reached Switzerland in April,
1917, and, accompanied by Major H. R. Charley,
Royal Irish Rifles, made a tour of inspection
of all British and French Institutes. On the
conclusion of this inspection he framed a scheme
of instruction based on the following principles : —
1. The preservation and development of the
training already initiated in the camps.
2. The erection of additional central schools
removed from the disturbing influence
of camp life.
3. The utilization of the elementary camp
classes for the selection of men to
attend the central schools.
4. The appointment of Interned officers to
take charge of these schools.
To give effect to these recommendations, he
proposed the erection of Central Schools at
Brienz, Meiringen, and Seebourg (Lucerne), where
the necessary accommodation and motive power
could be obtained, and, further, the enlargement
of the Motor Engineering School at Vevey.
Brienz and Meiringen had the advantage of
being in the vicinity of Miirren and Interlaken ;
Vevey, in that of Chateau d'Oex ; whilst Seebourg,
though farther away, had the unique advantage
of affording residential and workshop accommo-
dation in one institution — the Polytechnic
Chalets.
EMPLOYMENT OF THE INTERNED 151
The subjects suggested for technical study
were : —
1. Joinery and Cabinet-making.
2. Electric Wiring and the Care of
Domestic Installations.
3. Light Leather Work.
4. Tailoring.
5. Automobile Engineering.
The teaching staff was to be sent out from
England, with the exception of that for
No. 5. The expenditure for the above-
mentioned scheme, inclusive of the cost of
new materials, was estimated at about £4,000
per annum.
The report of Dr. Garnett, transmitted by
the War Office to the "B.R.C.S.," London,
was approved by the latter, who undertook to
promote and finance the undertaking. Interest
in the question was also taken by the Ministry
of Pensions, to whom the training and education
of wounded men was naturally of great impor-
tance. The practical application of the scheme
was placed in the hands of Lord Sandwich and
Major R. N. Mitchell, the former representing
the " B.R.C.S.," London, the latter the Ministry
of Pensions. Prior to the departure from London
of these gentlemen to inspect conditions in
Switzerland, several British firms, with whom
Major Mitchell had been in consultation, offered
152 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
to send out managers and instructors to take
charge of one or other of the classes related to
their interests, to provide all the raw material
required, to remunerate the men, and, further,
to guarantee employment on repatriation to
all those men giving proof of efficiency whilst
under instruction. This guarantee appeared to
me the solution of the whole problem, and
honour is due to the brain which first originated
the idea. Amongst firms taking part in this
venture were : Messrs. Brinsmead and Co.,
pianoforte makers ; Messrs. Worral and Co., Bir-
mingham, leather work ; and Mr. D. Davis,
fancy leather bag manufacturer. The " Auto-
Car " Management, under the inspiration of
Lieut. Wallis, also offered to bear the whole cost
of the Motor Engineering School at Vevey.
The above proposals practically ensured the
success of the scheme laid down by Dr. Garnett,
and gave it a very attractive form in the eyes
of the men, whose future was thereby safe-
guarded.
On the occasion of the visit of Lord Sandwich
and Major Mitchell to Switzerland in August,
1917, they had the advantage of the advice and
assistance of Dr. Garnett. The chief problem
consisted in finding premises where the whole
of the proposed technical training might be
centralized. Unfortunately, nothing of the
EMPLOYMENT OF THE INTERNED 153
kind was available, and it was accordingly
decided, with my approval and that of the Swiss
authorities, to establish the Central Schools
as proposed by Dr. Garnett, with the exception
of Brienz, which was eliminated : — Meiringen,
for leather work and tailoring; Seebourg, for
pianoforte making and carpentry, electrical
work, watch-making, etc. ; Vevey, for motor
engineering. This would suffice, it was estimated,
to exhaust the available number of men seeking
training, and, apart from the closure of the
elementary motor engineering classes at Miirren
and Chateau d'Oex, leave the Institutes of the
regimental type, such as Army Classes, and all
the other classes, to continue their work as
heretofore at the camps.
On Lord Sandwich's return to London, arrange-
ments were made to give effect to the amended
scheme, and, at my request, Major Charley and
Lieut. Wallis were nominated by the War
Office to take their place on my Staff, the former
as Officer in Charge of Technical Training, the
latter to resume charge of the Motor Engineering
School at Vevey. These officers, further, re-
presented the interests which the " B.R.C.S.,"
London, had in the scheme.
In September, 1917, the repatriation of some
of the British Interned somewhat delayed ar-
rangements, but at last, in October, expert
154 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
managers and instructors arrived from England,
sent by the firms mentioned, and work was
seriously begun by November, 1917.
The men displayed considerable aptitude, and
achieved a standard of efficiency which should
enable them to keep their situations on their
return to England. Remuneration was made
to each apprentice in proportion to his work,
and was sufficient to give him a personal interest
in the output.
The Tailoring Class was conducted by a
West-end tailor, late Sergt. -Instructor in the
Army. The workshop was located in an annexe
of the Hotel Flora, at Meiringen, and was fitted
with four machines electrically driven. Atten-
tion was mainty directed to the making of uni-
forms, the raw materials for which were supplied
by the Army Clothing Department. The gar-
ments, on completion, were taken over by that
Department, ordinary rates being paid for the
work, the men receiving a proportionate remunera-
tion.
The Advanced School of Motor Engineering,
opened at Vevey by Lieut. Wallis in March,
1917, owed its origin to the success of the ele-
mentary motor class founded by that officer
at Miirren. It was, further, made possible by
the splendid generosity of the well-known firms
of Peter Cailler5 Kohler and Co., Messrs.
EMPLOYMENT OF THE INTERNED 155
Nestle and Co., and other Swiss firms in
the Jura, surplus machinery, moreover, being
given or lent by Messrs. Picard and Pictet,
Geneva, and Messrs. Miiller and Co., Lausanne,
and others.
The expenses of the School, beyond the money
gifts made to Lieut. Wallis for that purpose,
were met by the " B.L.R.C.O." and the Central
P. of W. Committee, until October, 1917. From
that date, the expenses were guaranteed by the
management of the " Auto-Car," London, who
further provided material and machinery, and
whose keen interest in the enterprise was of
inestimable value.
The training, which included electrical in-
struction in connection with motor-car work,
was of a thoroughly practical nature, and should
be of great value to the men later ; as also the
Metal Work Class, opened in connection with the
Vevey School at Chateau d'Oex, and instructed
by a skilled Interned, Chief Petty Officer,
Harpe. In this class, various kinds of sheet
metal work, welding, and brazing, were taught
with great success.
All the Central Schools were well established
and in thorough working order when I left
Switzerland in May, 1918. Both instructors
and men showed great interest in the work,
and were ably supervised by Major Charley
156 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
and Lieut. Wallis — the latter since promoted to
Captain — and I had every reason to be satisfied
with the results.
In August, 1918, it was decided to close down
the Meiringen and Seebourg Centres, and con-
centrate the classes at Vevey, in the workshops
previously occupied by French Interned. These
premises were taken over by the " B.R.C.S.,"
London, with their machines, tools, fittings, etc.,
and the transfer was made in September and
October. These workshops, known as "B.I.T.S."
(British Interned Technical School), were closed
on November 25, in anticipation of the repatri-
ation of December 6, 1918, when British Interned
in Switzerland left the country.
The following figures have lately reached me,
giving in detail the final results achieved under
the scheme of technical training : —
Average number of men in train-
ing from December, 1917, to
December, 1918 .. .. 172
Total number of men trained . . 443
Average period of training . . 5*35 months.
Total cost of undertaking . . 173,534-87 francs.
Average expenditure per man for
443 men 391-72 francs.
The total of frs. 173,534-87 includes the
"B.R.C.S.," London, outlay, the "Auto-Car"
outlay, and running expenses of the Motor School
EMPLOYMENT OF THE INTERNED 157
at Vevey, and the expenses of installation of
" B.I.T.S." at Vevey (about frs. 33,000). The
average cost of training would have been con-
siderably higher had it not been for the valuable
assistance rendered by Swiss firms in the equip-
ment of the workshops. The installation of
the " B.I.T.S.," for instance, was comparatively
inexpensive, owing to the generosity of Messrs.
Nestle and the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company,
who put in all the electric light and extra heating
free of cost.
The figures given above appear to me somewhat
disappointing, as they fall short of our original
intention, which was to provide technical in-
struction for 300 men at a time. That figure
was never reached, owing to an impression,
held in common by the men, that regular work
might militate against their chances of repatria-
tion. Many of them were, therefore, loth
to engage themselves for continuous instruction,
and though the impression was entirely erroneous,
it was none the less difficult of eradication, and
rendered the men shy of the schools.
There is no doubt, I believe, that many of
the men were, temperamentally, incapable of
making the best of their opportunities. This
was more especially the case with soldiers of
the Regular Army, who were not immediately
concerned as to their status in civil life after
158 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
the war. I cannot avoid the conclusion that
the fault lies in no small degree in a system
which makes no provision for the technical
instruction of the soldier whilst still serving
in the ranks, and in this connection an
incident of my cadet days at Sandhurst in
1874-75 comes to mind. We cadets were
asked to give our views regarding the training
of the soldier, and I hazarded the opinion that
he should be taught a trade, in order that he
might be fitted to take his place in civil life on
discharge. This view met with no encourage-
ment, and I was informed that " financial
considerations alone would prevent the realiza-
tion of any such quixotic ideal."
Under the stress of war, the Ministr}7 of Pen-
sions and the " B.R.C.S.," London, have, in
initiating a system of training in Switzerland,
Holland, and at home, done much to remedy
the faults of the past, and have awakened in the
public a sense of their obligation towards the
man who is ready to give some of the best years
of his life to the service of the country. I have
little doubt that it will be found necessary in
the future to give every soldier a thorough
technical training during the years of his military
service, in order that he may without delay
take his place in the economic life of the country
when the term of Ins military service expires.
CHAPTER XII
THE CHURCHES IN SWITZERLAND IN RELATION
TO THE INTERNED— ARRANGEMENTS MADE
FOR THE SPIRITUAL WELFARE OF THE
BRITISH INTERNED— ESTIMATES OF THE
PSYCHICAL STATE OF THE INTERNED
BEFORE mentioning the arrangements made
for the British Interned, I should like to
give a short sketch of the steps taken by the
Churches in Switzerland, and of Swiss regard
for the spiritual welfare of the Allied and
German Interned, before the advent of the
British.
I take the Roman Catholics first, as most of
the Allied Interned were of that persuasion. The
" Mission Catholique," founded by Mgr. Bovet
to give moral aid to Ps. of W., engaged itself
from the very first to provide, under the direc-
tion of the " Aumonier en Chef," for the religious
requirements of the Roman Catholics. Mgr.
Colliard, Bishop of Lausanne, was appointed
President of the Mission, and the Abbe Savoy, one
of its members, was charged, in collaboration
159
160 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
with both native and Interned priests, and with
the assistance of Mgr. Gariel, Professor at the
University of Fribourg, with the duty of organiz-
ing services in the centres of Internment.
Apart from purely spiritual efforts, the Mission
also organized a series of Conferences dealing
with the geography, history, industries, and
social life of Switzerland.
Early in 1916, the Abbe, now Captain Aumonier
Herbert Savoy, was nominated Chaplain-General
to the Roman Catholics, Captain Aumonier Spahn
to the Protestants, and Dr. M. Erlanger, of the
" Rote Mogen David Society," to the Jews.
These appointments affected the French, Belgian,
and German Interned, the British not having
as yet made their appearance in the country.
Each centre of Internment was as far as
practicable considered as forming part of local
parish organizations, and Interned priests were
also appointed to assist the Swiss in their work.
The services were held in the parish churches
or chapels and oratories improvised for the
occasion. Protestants being in a minority, it
was not found possible to arrange in an adequate
manner for their worship, and Captain Aumonier
Spahn could only hold a service for the men
once a fortnight, the dissemination of the
Interned throughout the various cantons adding
to his difficulties. The Jews were ministered
SPIRITUAL WELFARE 161
to by Grand Rabbi T. Lewenstein at Zurich,
and by Dr. M. W. Rappaport and Rabbi Jules
Wolff.
The above arrangements met with little diffi-
culty in their application, as they simply por-
tended an expansion of the existing religious
organizations of the country. Language offer-
ing no bar to common worship, the addition
of accommodation in church, chapel, or synagogue
was seldom necessary, and the Interned French-
man, Belgian or German took his place as a
member of the ordinary Swiss congregation.
The clergy, too, understood the psychology of
their flocks, and were not puzzled by any new
manifestations of racial characteristics.
In the case of the British, the conditions were
of a different order. Here, at once, the differ-
ences of race, religious observances, and language
became apparent, and it was evident that I
should be thrown on my own resources in pro-
viding for the spiritual welfare of our officers
and men. Chateau d'Oex was, I found, well
served as to religious needs. The importance
of the place as a popular mountain resort for
British tourists had led to the maintenance
there by the Colonial and Continental Church
Society of a resident Church of England Chaplain,
the Rev. E. Dudley Lampen, and there was
also a resident Swiss Roman Catholic priest,
12
162 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
the Abbe Bullet. Both these gentlemen placed
themselves at my disposal for the service of the
men. The Rev. A. M. Sutherland, Minister
of Trinity Presbyterian Church of Lausanne,
likewise offered himself for duty, and in due
course established, at his own expense, a chapel
at Chateau d'Oex for the use of his military
congregation.
In September, 1916, the C.C.C. Society further
sent the Rev. Isaac Hutchinson from England
to assist Mr. Lampen, and these gentlemen
performed all the duties connected with the
Anglican Church at Chateau d'Oex, Rougemont
and Rossinieres, until their relief in 1917, when
Army Chaplains were appointed by the Chaplain-
General for duty in Switzerland.
At Leysin Church of England services were
conducted by the resident Chaplain, the Rev.
Mr. Tisdale, who also rendered valuable assist-
ance in his relations with the British Catholics,
when as yet no English-speaking priest visited
the place.
As regards his military flock, the Abbe Bullet
was much handicapped by his imperfect know-
ledge of English, and I found it necessary,
therefore, to make other arrangements, and
sought for assistance elsewhere. At this junc-
ture I was brought into touch with the Rev.
Father D. V. Rowan, Professor of Exegesis
SPIRITUAL WELFARE 163
at the University of Fribourg. This town is
well known throughout the Catholic world as
a seat of learning, and a centre for theological
study. For decades past British students have
been attracted to its schools, and British pro-
fessors have long been engaged there at the
university and religious institutions. Father
Rowan, hearing of my difficulties, at once came
forward with the suggestion that he and his
British confreres of Fribourg should take it
in turn to visit the camps, and thus supplement
the work of the local priests. This system was
at once adopted and pursued until the winter
of 1916-17, when two Fribourg priests, Fathers
W. J. Neville and D. Fahey, were allocated
duties at Chateau d'Oex and Miirren as
resident Incumbents, a change which gave
much satisfaction to them, as they had found
the weekly journeys to and from Fribourg ex-
tremely trying during the winter months. It
was also equally pleasurable to the men to have
their spiritual advisers with them at all times.
The arrangements thus inaugurated continued
without further adjustment till early in 1917,
when, owing to increased numbers of British
Interned, it was thought desirable to transfer
part of the duties to trained Army Chaplains.
The Rev. A. H. Sewell, Army Chaplain 2nd
Class, of the Church of England, was appointed
164 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
to Chateau d'Oex in January, 1917 ; and in
the course of that year four additional Army
Chaplains, — two Church of England, two Pres-
byterian,— were sent out from England to the
various camps, but it was not till early in 1918
that a Roman Catholic Army Chaplain, Dom
Chapman, replaced the Rev. Father Neville
at Chateau d'Oex, on the latter receiving his
commission and proceeding to France. Apart
from this change, the arrangements for the
Roman Catholics remained as before. With
the arrival in Switzerland of the Rev. A. H.
Sewell, who was entrusted with the duty of
co-ordinating spiritual effort, the pastoral
work gradually assumed the aspect to which
the men were accustomed, thereby greatly
adding to the comfort of the camps.
I feel bound, however, to pay a tribute to
the Rev. E. Dudley Lampen, the Rev. A.
Sutherland, the Rev. D. Matheson, M.A., and
the Rev. Fathers Rowan, Neville, and Fahey,
who did valiant work, and filled the breach,
in the absence of the regular Army Chaplains,
whose services were at the time required in more
important spheres of labour. That they had
a difficult task, and one that can only be appre-
ciated by those who were intimately concerned
with the daily life of the camps, goes without
saying ; but it was met in a hopeful spirit,
SPIRITUAL WELFARE 165
and in some cases with considerable success.
They were called upon to deal with soldiers
who were sick at heart, and suffering from
the harsh treatment of a long captivity, and
who had been starved in mind and body, as a
result of which they were physically and
mentally debilitated, suspicious of their fellow-
men, and without much sense of proportion.
Moreover, the system adopted in the camps
in Germany was calculated to weaken the in-
fluence of the N.C.O., and with it had come
a relaxation of discipline and a levelling down
all round.
The psychology of officers and men during
the first year of their internment is one very
difficult to analyse. I say expressly the first
year, because at the end of that period the
building-up process, as affecting both the phy-
sical and mental conditions of all ranks, had
made headway, and new men were being
evolved. After that period the problem had
changed, fairly normal conditions had been
re-established, and the British soldier of the
type known to us all had emerged, differing
no doubt from, but approximating to, our
previous conception of him.
One of our temporary Presbyterian Chaplains,
who gave his services entirely to the men during
the critical period of the internment, —that
166 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
of 1916, — and whose success amongst them was
of a high order, has recently written to me of
his experiences, which, from the point of view
of that difficult question, " the psychology of
the men," appear to me of special interest.
I cannot do better than refer to his letters
on the subject. He writes : —
I am not yet certain how to state the psychology of the
life there (in the camp), nor how to justly analyze the why
and wherefore of affairs as lived out by the men, but in
case it may be a faint glimmer of the thing, may I say one
or two things that impressed me.
In the more moral and spiritual region of the men's
psychology I found that, given your purpose in being kind
to them was on the basis of their humanity, and not to
exploit them for your religious or Church ends, but desire
to give them a lift in every way, they had a great respect
for your sympathy and appreciation, and looked on that
which R. L. Stevenson had so much of as evidence of the
" true blue piety." Yes, just kind deeds and words, hoping
the best for them amid their failings and faults, and doing
the best for them in spite of these, and speaking the very
best things in spite of these.
The work you gave me to do among the men in the form
of religious services I came to feel could not compete in
the influence over the men just like the human fellowship ;
for example, at the farewell one Tommy rose and said :
" He was one we could go to in our joys and sorrows, and
we found him give us his confidence and friendship, and
some of us got it as much when we were bad boys in prison."
That reveals a very striking side of the men, their estimate
of the moral values of life.
I don't know if I can trouble you with my own spiritual
work when I say that I adopted with the men a quite new
line for me, which came as a kind of inspiration when I
SPIRITUAL WELFARE 167
saw them and their natures. Instead of the usual line in
our Church life of putting pressure on the men to become
religious, or fall in with our ideas of religion, I represented
my work among them in its humblest forms of service
as a divine power that was seeking to help them. . . .
How little we ministers reveal the true Master, and how
much we camouflage Him, and also how much more religious
the men are than we think. At Murren, when Mr. Hobday
was presiding with about 200 men on a Sunday night,
I went over the last week of our Lord's life, and suddenly
I realized that the events of conflict with unscrupulous
enemies looked very like the experiences that the men
passed through, and when I said, " Men, I feel as if I was
describing the path you trod in Germany,'" there was a
distinct approval. ... I don't know if you have read the
poem by Francis Thompson, called " The Hound of Heaven,"
well, it describes the pursuing of love, and I found that
the best way to win the men. You could woo them into
doing anything if you cared for them and they knew it.
I discovered also that the men have no real grievance
against the Bible, but against the manner of its presentation,
and if we would only be more human we would get them
interested. I came to the conclusion that the men had
more religion in them than I believed. They were so un-
selfish and considerate of each other, and they loved and
idealized their homes and their children, and I also realized
that though they had formed some bad habits, say, drinking
too much, there was a great deal of it the result of their
abnormal condition of mind, and perhaps we lay too much
emphasis on these outward sins, and far too little on the
inner faults of spirit.
You will be pleased to hear that I never felt disturbed
about their swearing, as I seldom heard it. They were
a singularly high type, I thought. Low talk I never heard,
and I mixed about with them and conversed with them
in quite a human way, and I would have come across it if
it existed.
168 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
In the moral region of the men's psychology I must
refer to the subject of swearing, of which a Chaplain at the
front says : " He heard enough to keep his hair on end for
the rest of his life." This is a strange experience, and I
have no doubt he is not exaggerating, but I want to tell
you a fact, that neither I nor . . . ever in all our experience
heard even the mildest swearing, nor ever had to blush
over low talk; and what . . . said is just my own experience
that in their intercourse with us, at our own table, where
some of them were every week, we found them behave like
gentlemen. I am not inclined to explain this by the fact
that having our confidences these men were loyal to our
friendship. It may be in some measure the reason, but
I think it is owing to the fact that those men came out of
a terrible experience, an agony of soul, that left its impres-
sion ; in fact, they had, in religious language, seen the face
of God, and could never be the same again.
When I had it said to me that my influence over the
men had been accounted for by my sympathy with socialistic
principles, I felt it keenly, for it wTas neither true of me nor
of the men I met. I was very pleased to discover not the
slightest inclination among the mass of the men of any
revolt against law and order, or discipline, when justly
administered, and the only instances of a spirit of revolt
were when the discipline revealed, as it did only very rarely,
I confess, a desire to hit the actor and not the act, or when
it in fact seemed revenge or anger against a particular man.
I found, indeed, a very general acquiescence in military
orders, when the commands came from officers that the
men loved and trusted and who treated them as men, with
minds and feelings. That certainly could not be called
socialistic principles. The " Beloved Colonel " or Captain
in the British Army is a man the men continue to respect,
and would follow to the death in the path of duty.
What they (the men) want first of all is the human touch,
the assurance of comradeship, and only when human
friendship has done its work spiritual talk may follow —
SPIRITUAL WELFARE 169
and perhaps not even then unless there is abundance of
kindly actions to your credit. The soldier quickly detects
if the dominant idea of the Padre is to bring glory to his
Church, and is not passion for doing good to all irrespective
of their communion. Among soldiers the religion without
label is the most respected. It is a distinct advantage to
value at a minimum the petty divisions of the ecclesiastical
fold.
The psychology of Ps. of W. and of the
Interned has also been the special study of
certain well-known Swiss doctors, amongst
others, Dr. Clement (Fribourg), Dr. A. L.
Vischer (Bale), and Professor Dr. Robert Bing.
Their views have been well summarized by
Major Edouard Favre in his work, " L'lnterne-
ment en Suisse des Prisonniers de Guerre,
Malades ou Blesses, 1917," and may be briefly
stated as follows : —
The fundamental causes acting on Prisoners
of War are loss of libert}^ the herding together
of large numbers, the unknown duration of
captivity. They suffer from want of space,
the impossibility of isolating themselves from
their fellows, the constant expectation in which
they live whilst awaiting letters or parcels,
and the ever recurrent disappointments con-
nected therewith ; and all these sufferings are
accentuated by that important factor, ignorance
of the duration of captivity.
At the outset the prisoners seek in febrile
170 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
activity a release from all these sufferings,
which are aggravated by the memories of horrors
lived through, apprehensions regarding the
future, and nostalgia for country and relatives.
Schools, theatrical performances, and concerts
are organized ; but gradually the exterior
world effaces itself and disappears, and the
prisoners live in a shadow land, without colour
or life. Sensations are blunted, and give place
to apathy, and the events of the war are followed
with a mediocre interest.
Such is the milieu in which neurasthenia
develops, well marked in some, less so in others,
but common to all those who have passed six
months in captivity behind wire barriers, and
reaching a special intensity amongst, roughly
speaking, 10 per cent, of the captives. First
of all, an exaggerated irritability manifests
itself, and the least opposition becomes insup-
portable. Quarrels are frequent. Then intel-
lectual concentration becomes difficult, and such
as renders close attention to a few pages of
a book impossible. In such cases the prisoner
often deliberately gives up his promenades,
and prefers to remain quiescent.
A phenomenon of constant occurrence is
the loss of memory, and inability to recall
names of persons or of localities, specially those
connected with memories anterior to the war.
SPIRITUAL WELFARE 171
A Sergt. -Major, for instance, forgot the name
of the Colonel who commanded his regiment
since 1913, and has been unable to recall it up
to the present. Several Interned cannot re-
member the Christian names of their fathers,
mothers, and other near relatives. Another
cannot recall the name of his village. Such
cases are numerous even amongst those who
have been in Switzerland for eighteen months.
As a symptom of a secondary nature, insomnia
may be mentioned, though this varies. It may
play a role in one camp, and not in another.
Some prisoners complain of a loss of sight, and
many become extremely suspicious and defiant.
All have a marked tendency to regard the
ordinary events of their daily life from a dis-
torted point of view. The chief sufferers
become silent for three or four days at a time,
and are plunged in a sort of torpor. Once
this state is established, it becomes in general
stationary, and does not diminish as long as
the captivity lasts.
The horrible monotony, combined with a
succession of petty incidents, tends to render
the captives small in spirit and egoistic to
a degree. They are no longer capable of any
deep feeling, and cannot vibrate to the higher
emotions. Suspicion is a marked character-
istic. Some of the Interned could, only see in
172 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
the disinterested services of one of the greatest
of Swiss surgeons the desire to experiment
on interesting material. They compared them-
selves to " lapins de laboratoire."
Outside these symptoms, the impression
conveyed by many of the Interned is that
of personalities profoundly changed. Their
relatives find them altered out of recognition.
A distinguished British General of forty years'
service who visited his compatriots in Switzer-
land made the remark, " I thought I knew all
there was to be known of British officers and
men. I must confess I no longer understand
my Interned comrades after their experience
as ' Ps. of W.' in Germany."
Dr. Clement remarked that under the changed
conditions due to internment in Switzerland,
psychical troubles would, it was hoped, rapidly
cease to exist, but this did not prove to be the
case. This optimism was only justified in a
certain measure. Symptoms which persist for
a long time, and only gradually disappear, are,
a mental instability and a want of power of
concentration. The British Interned designate
this state by the characteristic expression,
" difficulty to settle down."
Troubles of memory are extremely frequent
even amongst those who have been a long time
in Switzerland, and this symptom differentiates
SPIRITUAL WELFARE 173
itself from other neurasthenic manifestations by
the fact that the sufferer is conscious of his state.
Amongst the intellectuals, an excessive im-
pressionability manifests itself. Despite them-
selves, they misinterpret a gesture, a play
of feature, a tone of voice, a silence even.
Sometimes a certain misanthropy has been
noticed amongst the Interned, which tends to
a desire for that solitude of which they have
been so long deprived. One of them explained
this by saying : " It is not a dislike of our
fellows, but simply the absence of all pleasure,
and perhaps a sentiment of discomfort at finding
oneself amongst people whose condition is other
than our own."
The happy influence exercised by the visits
of relatives in bringing back the realities of
life to the Interned, and in re-establishing
contact with the family, is especially dwelt
upon by Swiss medical officers.
CHAPTER XIII
HOMES— VISITS OF RELATIVES— RECREATIONS
AND SPORTS OF THE BRITISH INTERNED
AS soon as the first contingent of officers
and men were installed at Chateau d'Oex,
there arose the need of some place where the
men could meet in their leisure hours instead
of finding attraction in the local cafes, and in
July, 1916, the Rev. A. Sutherland, in asso-
ciation with a lady interested in the scheme,
succeeded in finding suitable quarters where
the men might foregather, much to my own
and Colonel G. Vansittart's (" S.B.O.") satis-
faction. Within a few days, with the assistance
of the "World's Alliance of the Y.M.C.A."
at Geneva, the " B.L.R.C.O." at Berne, the
" Patriotic League " at Lausanne, and private
friends, the necessary funds for installation,
rent, etc., were provided. In this Home,
generally known as the " Foyer," the men were
able to write, read newspapers and books,
listen to music, join in debates, and smoke.
It was, moreover, strictly non-sectarian, and
174
RECREATIONS AND SPORTS 175
welcomed Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and
Presbyterians alike to join in the comfort and
enjoyment offered. In the long run the very
popularity of the Home was its undoing, the
accommodation being unequal to the strain
put upon it. When, therefore, in October,
1916, Sir Starr Jameson, on behalf of the
" B.R.C.S.," London, offered to establish a large
hut in the camp, to be staffed by a section of
V.A.Ds., I gladly accepted the offer. I after-
wards learned that we were indebted for the
gift to Mr. (now Sir William) Cresswell Gray,
of West Hartlepool.
The " Gray " Hut was built during the winter
1916-17 under the supervision of Mr. Middleton
Jameson (brother of Sir Starr), who came out
to Switzerland expressly for the purpose, and was
opened by Ladjr Rumbold in January, 1917.
In the opening speech by Lady Rumbold
there occurred the following words : " Now
that this Red Cross Hut has been built, it will
replace the Foyer which has been found too
small for the needs of the increasing numbers
of British Interned at Chateau d'Oex. I can-
not let this occasion pass without paying a
tribute to the initiative of Mr. Sutherland and
his friends who inaugurated the Foyer and
carried it on for the benefit of the men. Now
that the Foyer has ceased to exist as such,
176 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
Mr. Sutherland is resuming his work at Lausanne.
I am convinced that his departure will be greatly
regretted by many."
With the closure of the Foyer, and the immi-
nent arrival of Military Chaplains to take up
duty at the camps, Mr. Sutherland decided
to return to his congregation at Lausanne,
carrying with him the warm regard and affection
of large numbers of the men.
The " Gray " Hut had a prosperous and useful
career ; and as canteen, club, and social centre,
fulfilled, I would fain believe, the intentions of
its generous donor. On the termination of
the Internment, in December, 1918, the hut,
I understand, was formally presented by the
Commandant, Miss Murray, to the " Conseil
Communal " — a brass tablet recording the fact
that it was handed over by the " B.R.C.S.,"
London, in accordance with the wishes of the
donor. It is to be used by the Swiss for their
" Colonie des Vacances."
We were indebted to two English ladies,
Miss Annan and Miss Metcalfe, for the estab-
lishment of Homes for the men at Rougemont
and Rossinieres. These ladies provided for the
initial outlay, rent, and running expenses, and
must have drawn largely on their own financial
resources, besides carrying out all executive
work connected with the Homes, and, to use
RECREATIONS AND SPORTS 177
an Eastern hyperbole, they both " fathered
and mothered " the men. Miss Annan organized
basket-making and fancy work classes, which,
pro tern., gave the men occupation, and put
money into their pockets. I cannot lay too
much stress on the practical and idealistic nature
of the work accomplished by these two ladies
and their friends.
At the same time the National Council of
the "Y.M.C.A.," realizing that the benefits
they could provide would be particularly accept-
able to British soldiers arriving from Germany,
made proposals to me for the establishment
of their work at Miirren, and so it came to pass
that, when the second contingent of Interned
arrived at that mountain resort, in August,
1916, they were greeted by two representatives
of the "Y.M.C.A." National Council, in the
persons of Mr. Alfred Brauen and Mr. R. I.
Whitwell, who had already secured and opened
comfortable quarters in the Hotel Jungfrau
for the use of the men. Here the usual refresh-
ments and pastimes were provided, and made
available to all.
These gentlemen now made a tour of the camps,
and, at my request, turned their attention to
Leysin, where the need of a social centre for the
men had made itself greatly felt. As a result
of this tour and the recommendations made by
13
178 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
Mr. Whitwell, Lord Tavistock very generously
offered to build a hut to meet requirements
there. The hut was constructed on Mr. WhitwelPs
designs, and was opened by him in February,
1917. It was well equipped with workshop,
billiard table, library, etc., and under the
leadership of Mr. J. G. Griffiths, and later of
Mr. S. K. Morrison, proved most successful.
The influence, disciplinary and moral, of the
" Y.M.C.A." work at Leysin was a revelation
to me, and was beyond praise.
A lady to whom the British at Leysin owe a
debt of gratitude was Mrs. Anderton, of Vevey.
All schemes for the welfare of the Interned
received her support, but the sick at Leysin were
the object of her predilection, and her gener-
osity was unbounded. In recognition of her
numerous charities the Holy See conferred on
her in April, 1919, the Pontifical Cross, pro
Ecclesia et Pontifice, which was transmitted
to her by Mgr. Maglione, the successor of Mgr.
Marchetti at Berne.
Mr. Whitwell subsequently laid plans for
work on a more comprehensive scale at Murren,
to give effect to which the National Council
of the " Y.M.C.A." erected a splendid hut,
the finest of the kind ever seen in Switzerland,
and the highest in the world, it being at an
altitude of 1,630 metres.
RECREATIONS AND SPORTS 179
The inauguration ceremony occasioned con-
siderable interest in the Bernese Oberland, and
attracted visitors from all parts of the country.
Lady Rumbold, in opening the hut, mentioned
it as having been erected for the British Interned
as a mark of gratitude for their services, and
I had the pleasure of thanking the " Y.M.C.A."
for their warm-hearted regard for our soldiers.
This "Y.M.C.A." hut, equipped with canteen,
cinema, billiard and bagatelle tables, stage,
library, " quiet " room, lantern for lectures, etc.,
was of the most up-to-date kind, and round it
revolved the social life of Murren. An Enter-
tainment Committee was organized, and weekly
concerts were held. The theatrical company,
composed of officers and men, had a successful
career both at Murren and Interlaken, and drew
large houses, in which figured many visitors
from Berne and elsewhere. Popular lectures,
mock trials, and a General Election, roused great
interest ; and various classes for fretwork, basket-
making, embroidery, and languages, were estab-
lished. Agriculture was not forgotten, a large
piece of land being leased for market garden-
ing. Here scores of men found agreeable occu-
pation, and produce was raised which assisted
in supplying the garrison during the winter
months.
In January, 1917, Mr. J. W. Hobday was
180 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
appointed Secretary of the " Y.M.C.A." in
Switzerland, and co-operated with Mr. Whitwell,
whose place he filled at a later date, when that
gentleman returned to England.
When Interlaken was opened as a British
Camp, Mr. Hobday installed a canteen, under
the direction of Mr. and Mrs. R. Hughes, in
one of the best hotels of the place, to which
was adjoined a concert hall, with the finest
decorated interior within a large radius. Here,
as elsewhere in all " Y.M.C.A." centres, the
daily arrival of British and Colonial newspapers
kept the men in touch with the outside world,
and concerts, sing-songs, lectures, tennis, and
billiards, gave them plenty of amusement and
recreation.
At Meiringen the " Y.M.C.A." acquired the
local " Casino," which was admirably adapted
for its purpose, and to it Mr. John Mahler,
J. P., and the Rev. D. Dowling devoted much
of their time and energies. The winter of 1917-
18 was very severe, but the " Y.M.C.A." made
a point of keeping their quarters well warmed,
thus adding to the comfort and health of the
men.
By the courtesy of the " Chalet " authorities,
and of Mrs. Mitchell of Seebourg, near Lucerne,
a large hall was placed at the service of the
men, where, likewise, the " Y.M.C.A." opened a
RECREATIONS AND SPORTS 181
" Home " under the experienced leadership of
Miss Leckie. Thanks to her sympathetic efforts,
and the assistance given by Mr. and Mrs. W.
Cecil Stronge, the local clergy, and Mrs. Hauser,
of the Schweizerhof Hotel, a fine piece of work
was performed here.
Previous to the opening of this hall, Mrs.
Hauser (English by birth, and the wife of
the proprietor of the Schweizerhof Hotel of
Lucerne) had, together with her husband, placed
at the disposal of British Interned a room
in their hotel, which served all the purposes of
a club. This lady also acted as visitor to
those in hospital, and supplied them with
hospital comforts, both on her own behalf and,
later, on that of the " B.L.R.C.O.," whose
representative she became. Her generosity and
untiring service were of great value.
At Couvet, in the Canton of Neuchatel, our
men were indebted to Monsieur Pierre Dubied,
a Swiss gentleman, for a fine hall, where the
" Y.M.C.A." were installed in the interests of
a British working party who were employed
in cutting fuel during the summer of 1918.
Mme. Dubied and her friends gave unstinted
help, and endeared themselves to the men.
In connection with the Motor Classes at
Vevey, Colonel A. K. Gillespie founded the
" Soldiers' Club," which, later on, was amal-
182 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
gamated with the " Y.M.C.A.," who had taken
up their quarters in the excellent premises of
the Swiss " Y.M.C.A. " (Union Chretienne des
Jeunes Gens), on the Boulevard St. Martin,
and proved a happy meeting place for social
intercourse, concerts, and sports. I may
mention that Colonel Gillespie's name has become
a household word to the British Interned in
Switzerland, owing to his association with the
" B.L.R.C.O.," the "Soldiers' Club," and the
" Bureau de Secours aux Prisonniers de Guerre."
At Gunten, on the Lake of Thoune, and in
connection with the Carpet Workshops, Miss
Martin and the late Mrs. Cooke Daniels opened
a much appreciated club for the use of the
British, French, and Belgian Interned ; and Miss
Simpkin, of Manor Farm, also established a
tea-room at Interlaken, which proved of great
service to the men passing to and from
Murren.
I think I have said enough to show how active
was the part taken by the " Y.M.C.A." and others
in Switzerland, and how beneficent were their
labours. The Association appears to me more
than well served by its staff, and evidently has
the happy faculty of choosing the right man for
the right place. Nothing could have been better,
for instance, than their choice of Mr. Whitwell
and Mr. Hobday, — the former for his large-
RECREATIONS AND SPORTS 183
heartedness, the latter for his administrative
and executive abilities.
In anticipation of the arrival of the first
contingent of " Ps. of W." in May, 1916, the
wives of several of the officers had found their
way to Switzerland, and many others followed
as soon as they heard of the arrival of their
husbands at Chateau d'Oex. It struck me as
eminently desirable that N.C.Os. and men should
also, if feasible, have an opportunity of seeing
their wives or members of their families, and
I accordingly addressed myself to the War
Office, in the hope that arrangements in this
sense might be made. My hopes were realized
later through the kind initiative of Lord
Northcliffe, who had seen the camp at Miirren,
and much approved of the idea. Thanks to
his lively interest in the question, Lord North-
cliffe, by means of The Times, collected suffi-
cient funds, and caused steps to be taken for
providing the necessary machinery for the care
of the women whilst in transit and during their
visit to Switzerland.
The arrangements in England were entrusted
to Mr. Harold Wilkins, on behalf of the
" C.P. of W.C.," and after examination of
local conditions by Mr. (now Sir Ellis) Hume-
Williams, preparations were made for the des-
patch of parties of sixteen to twenty women
184 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
under the guardianship of " chaperones," for
a fortnight's visit at the camps. The Young
Women's Christian Association very kindly co-
operated with the " C.P. of W.C." by leasing
a house in Bedford Square as a hostel where
the women were assembled and lodged before
departure. On arrival at the camps, they were
taken charge of by an Interned officer, by
whom all arrangements regarding finance,
accommodation, and catering were made.
The first conducted party of women reached
Chateau d'Oex in September, 1916, and their
reception by the Swiss was as thoughtful and
considerate as in the case of the men themselves.
It was a comfort to hear a wife, when sympathized
with for having only a fourteen days' visit,
reply : " Yes, but I would have come if only
for an hour " ; and another : " The bairns think
that I have gone to fetch their daddy home.
I just let them think it."
The arrival of the first party at Miirren was
memorable as symbolizing a return to home
life, and the men, one and all, turned out to
demonstrate in honour of the event. An excited
crowd of soldiers, armed with every conceivable
instrument of noise, amongst which figured
numberless cattle bells requisitioned from the
peasants far and near, met the women at the
railway station, and escorted them by the light
RECREATIONS AND SPORTS 185
of torches to their hotels. The visit must
have passed like a dream, for Miirren remained
en fete during the whole fortnight, and our
countrywomen had the time of their lives.
From time to time, and not infrequently,
the movement to and from Switzerland was
interrupted owing to the exigencies of the
military situation in France, but in all not less
than 600 wives and mothers were privileged
to visit their husbands and sons in Switzerland.
I have often been asked by people who evidently
bore in mind the cost of the operation, whether
the visits were a success. The financial records
of the " B.R.C.S.," London, for the year ending
October, 1917, show that £12,187 were received
from the public as donations to the fund for
"relatives' visits." The records for 1918 are not
yet published, but I am given to understand that
the total expenditure will amount approximately
to £15,000, thus averaging £25 per visitor,
a reasonable figure when war-time conditions
are envisaged.
I think we have only to place ourselves in
the position of the Interned to realize what such
visits must have been to them. To my mind
public sentiment did not err in responding so
graciously to the special appeal made by Lord
Northcliffe for funds to enable him to deal with
this question, and in doing so struck a note which
186 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
vibrated in sympathy with the hearts and souls
of their Interned countrymen in Switzerland.
Major Edouard Favre, in his official publication,
" L'Internement en Suisse, 1917," gives the
Swiss view of these visits. He writes : " We
cannot sufficiently insist on the happy influence
exercised by the visits of relatives. By this
means a living contact with the family, that
basis of social life, is re-established."
In the field of sport, the men soon realized
that they were in the midst of a sporting com-
munity, and football, lawn tennis, boxing, skating,
ski-ing, and ice-hockej^, were freely indulged
in according to the season. Football was especi-
ally popular, many matches being played
against Swiss and Allied clubs. The former
were generally too strong for our men, who were
never really fit enough to compete with the
best Swiss teams. Boxing also was popular,
the Swiss sending some of their best amateurs
to take part in the tournaments held at Chateau
d'Oex. The spirit was willing — for our men
were ever ready to meet the Swiss — but the
flesh was weak, and here again the condition
of our men told against them.
As regards ice-hockey, the Canadians showed
excellent form, and practically carried every-
thing before them. They appeared to me to
be the equal of the best teams the Swiss could
RECREATIONS AND SPORTS 187
put into the field. In the realm of lawn tennis,
some of the best players were handicapped by
wounds and other disabilities, and therefore
unable to make a mark in the championship
games. It is of interest to record, however,
that one of the members of the British Legation
at Berne (not an Interned officer), who played
under the name of " Marcel," won the Interna-
tional Swiss Championship for the third year
in succession, and in so doing became entitled
to a handsome cup, which bore on the shield
the names of Wilding, Decugis, and others who
had won the championship in previous years.
Some of our Interned gymnasts took part
at a Swiss Military Tournament at Neuchatel,
at which officers and men of the Swiss Army and
our Allied comrades competed. Our success
was practically limited to the bayonet competi-
tion, where we beat all comers in the team
matches, and took the first and many other
prizes for individual fighting. Our Belgian and
French Allies distinguished themselves with foil
and sabre, and. as some of them had been fencing
professors before the war, they held their own
with success against the best Swiss exponents
of the art.
As regards subjects theatrical and musical,
the men at Chateau d'Oex formed a Variety
Company to give concerts, with the laudable
188 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
ambition of building a chalet as an annexe
to the Children's Convalescent Home of the
region, as a remembrance of the time spent
there by British soldiers. How far they were
successful in their purpose I have not heard,
but I doubt whether they were able to achieve
their full intention. Chateau d'Oex also boasted
an amateur theatrical company, recruited from
amongst officers and men. As a side show, they
were able to count on a foursome of Scottish
dancers, whose services were in great request
for charity bazaars at Geneva, Montreux, Bale,
Lausanne, etc. They invariably brought down
the house, and made themselves the life and
soul of any entertainment at which they assisted.
Their kilts, sporrans, etc., and bearing, were
a never-ending joy to the spectators.
A small orchestra, with brass and stringed
instruments, and which played twice a week,
was started by Mr. Sutherland at the Foyer.
This formed the nucleus of a band afterwards
organized by the " S.B.O."
Miirren developed on similar lines. In one
respect, however, it was more fortunate than
Chateau d'Oex in having available a larger pro-
portion of musicians, and was able, therefore,
to create a very useful band, which added notably
to the amenities of its social life. I remember
well the astonishment of Colonel Hauser and
RECREATIONS AND SPORTS 189
his Staff on the occasion of a visit of inspection,
when he was entertained by the officers, to find
an orchestra of stringed instruments discoursing
music during dinner, the procedure followed
being identical with that of a Line Regiment
at home.
I must not omit to mention that the Miirren
foursome of Scottish dancers met with the
same success in the Bernese Oberland as that
of Chateau d'Oex in the Cantons of Vaud and
Geneva. I recall with special pleasure the furore
they created amongst the Bernese public on
the occasion of a bazaar for the disposal of
the work of the Interned (vide Chapter XIV).
Under the heading of " Pastimes," I may
mention the publication by the Interned of a
paper called the " B.I.M." (British Interned,
Miirren). Major Charley started this paper in
June, 1917, in connection with a printing press
installed at Miirren, with the financial assistance
of the " B.L.R.C.O." The management and
editorship was undertaken by Lieut. Hubbs,
4th C.M.R., and later by Lieut. Evans.
It concerned itself almost entirely with the
doings of the Miirren garrison until January,
1918, when it was converted into a magazine
for the Interned in general, and was then printed
at Vevey, under the supervision of Captain
Button, Oxford L.I. The paper appeared
190 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
monthly until September, 1918, and bi-monthly
up to October 29, 1918 — its last issue. Major
Charley, writing to me on the subject, states
that, compared with the magazine published
by French Interned, " it was rather a poor
effort." It was, however, of interest to our men,
and the effort was not wasted.
Thus were spent the leisure hours of the men
in camp life in Switzerland.
CHAPTER XIV
BERNE IMPRESSIONS: ARTISTIC, MUSICAL, AND
SOCIAL UNDER WAR CONDITIONS
THE nucleus proper of Berne (the old
mediaeval town) is situate on a promon-
tory running between two arms of the River
Aare, high above it, however, and connected
on three sides, by long-spanned bridges, to the
newer outlying portions of the town, where
are to be found the more modern residential
quarters. Along the southern side of the pro-
montory, facing a splendid view of the Bernese
Alps in the distance, with the river running
below in the immediate foreground, stretch
the handsome buildings of the Federal Palace
and other Government offices, flanked on either
side by the two most modern hotels, the Bellevue
Palace and the Bernerhof, where, when not
occupying private residences, members of the
Diplomatic Corps and Bernese society congregate.
Further along the promontory, beyond the
Kirchenfeld Bridge, runs one of the most in-
teresting old streets of Berne, a relic of the
191
192 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
Middle Ages, the Rue des Gentilshommes, where
many of the houses date back to the sixteenth
and seventeenth centuries, and several, I believe,
even to the fifteenth. This street, in times
gone by, was the residential quarter of the old
Bernese noblesse, and walking down now under
the old arcades, past the Cathedral Square
and Terrace, one can still see the dates and
emblazoned arms indicating when such and
such a house was occupied by the d'Erlachs,
the de Wattenwyls, or some other illustrious
family. Indeed, many delightful hours can be
spent evoking, and peopling with old world
silhouettes, the now deserted street, where only
stone and beam remain to tell the tale. The
very silence, perchance, induces one to note
the care evinced in the preservation of every
old house, sign, knocker, and quaint bell, evidence
of the feeling in which the Bernese hold their
departed glories and traditions. The same fami-
lies still inhabit many of these old houses, but
gradually the advantages offered by the more
open and modern residential quarters are drawing
them slowly, but surely, away.
In matters artistic, especially musical, Berne,
though small in comparison, offers many of the
advantages of larger capitals. It possesses a
fine concert hall and a good theatre, visited,
especially during the war, by the best European
BERNE UNDER WAR CONDITIONS 193
as well as Swiss talent. Owing to Switzerland
having maintained her neutrality, and being
situated geographically at the very centre of
the main belligerent countries, and therefore
easily accessible from these, she has become,
par excellence, the focus of artistic as well as
other propaganda from all quarters.
To begin with the most popular form of
artistic propaganda, the cinemas presented films
of the war in an ever increasing number, the
Germans making great use of this means of
impressing the public, but sometimes with a
result the reverse of that which they had in-
tended. In this connection the Moewe film,
given all over Switzerland, and portraying the
exploits of that pirate ship in sinking numbers
of British and Allied vessels, may be mentioned.
This was one long succession of views of mer-
chantment and beautiful sailing vessels riding
the waves, to be seen the next moment struck,
and slowly disappearing beneath the surface.
The most revolting part, however, of an altogether
revolting film, was the brutality and delight
evinced by the crew of the Moewe, who continued
their sports and dancing in sight of their drowning
victims. If the Germans hoped to impress the
Swiss by their prowess and merciless inhumanity,
or by showing them how easy a thing it was
to accomplish the starvation of the Allies, and
14
194 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
especially Great Britain, they utterly failed in
their aim, for the public in general, mostly
Swiss, was horrified at the sight of the destruction
of so much constructive human endeavour,
and, above all, at the brutality and disregard
evinced towards the unfortunate crews of the
doomed or sunken vessels. All over Switzerland
the impression conveyed in the main by this
film was one of disgust and horror, and comment
bore more than all else on the entire absence of
anything to indicate so much as the slightest
endeavour to save human life. In a word,
the Germans could not have chosen a subject
more unfavourable to themselves, or done better
propaganda work in favour of the Allies, than
by exhibiting their Moewe film.
When, later, the British Battle of the Somme
film was given in Berne, in 1916, in the huge
Concert Hall of the Casino, the contrast in the
spirit of the whole performance was all the more
noticeable when the feelings of horror evoked
by the Moewe performance are recalled to
mind. Amongst other films, the remembrance
of which stands out, the Champagne, the
Italian Izonzo, the Tank, and England's Effort,
all of which were very fine productions, may
be noted.
As regards painting, not many exhibitions
took place, owing mainly, presumably, to the
BERNE UNDER WAR CONDITIONS 195
ever increasing difficulties of transport. During
1916, however, the Society of Belgian Artists
sent a number of paintings done at the Front ;
and the French held an exhibition of old en-
gravings and woodcuts. In 1917 the Musee
du Luxembourg organized a magnificent collec-
tion of about 200 pictures of the " chefs-
d'oeuvre" of the feole de Barbizon, which repre-
sented most of the leaders of this great school :
Corot, Cezanne, Daubigny, Degas, Monet, Manet,
Millet, and many others. This exhibition was
opened at the Musee d'Art in Geneva, and
created a good deal of stir, and when I left
Berne it was just about to be transferred to
that place. Another exhibition of interest was
that of the works of Franz Hodler, the great
Swiss painter, one of whose canvasses fetched
in America, it is said, the enormous sum of
frs. 500,000.
It was, however, in matters musical that
Berne offered the greatest artistic enjoyment.
Not only were a series of concerts given by the
" Liedertafel " and " Cacilien Verein " and the
Berne " Stadt Orchestra," which, in the winter
of 1917, under the conductorship of M. Brun,
gave excellent interpretations of the complete
nine Symphonies of Beethoven, but we also
had a visit from the famous " Orchestre du
Conservatoire de Paris," as well as recitals by
196 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
Risler, Louis Vierne and others. With reference
to the visit of the " Orchestre du Conservatoire
de Paris," a rather amusing incident occurred,
typical of the spirit of war that had so insidiously,
during forty years of military preparation, made
its way into the very heart of intellectual and
artistic Germany, and even Austria, prostituting
these, also, to the ends of " Deutschland iiber
Alles." The French Orchestra had, for some
time past, announced their arrival for a certain
date, together with their programme, when
suddenly, a few days before the event, which was
creating a good deal of interest, Weingartner,
with his Philharmonic Orchestra of Vienna,
advertised a concert to take place just three
days prior to the French performance, and with
an almost identical programme. This naturally
created excitement, but, judging by the over-
flowing hall and tremendous enthusiasm dis-
played at the French concert, left the palm of
victory in the hands of the French musicians.
In a word, the Germano-Austrian artistic tours
in Switzerland were throughout marked by a
competitive spirit, and every detail of them was,
I understand, arranged under the aegis of high
German officials.
Many were the artists of European renown
who visited Berne during the war : Mesdames
Rejane, Leblanc Maeterlinck, the Russian dancer,
BERNE UNDER WAR CONDITIONS 197
Nijinski, as well as those of the Central Empires,
such as Moissi (who gave " Hamlet "), Nikish,
and others.
Of all artistic enjoyments, however, two series
of operatic and dramatic performances remain
pre-eminent : the Wagnerian series of operas
given by a Swiss company, and the series of
classic and romantic drama presented by members
of the " Comedie Francaise " of Paris. The
vocal rendering of the Wagner operas could
scarcely have been excelled. Herr Rudolph
Jung, a young Swiss tenor, interpreted in turn
Lohengrin, Tannhauser, Tristan, Hans Sachs,
and Parsifal, and not only was his tone one of
perfect purity and beauty, but, what is rare,
his physique lent itself to the glamour of knightly
armour as harmoniously as his interpretation
was satisfying mentalty and emotionally. Unless
I am much mistaken, this young man is destined
to become one of the world's greatest singers
and artists. He had made his the spirit of
knighthood, the spirit evoked by Wagner as
opposed to the old German ideal of brute force,
a fact which appears to have entirely escaped
the German public and critics. It is always
of knighthood that Wagner sings, of knights
in conflict with material forces ; and if he rescued
from oblivion the sagas of a dawn of civiliza-
tion, it was but as the forces against which his
198 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
knights hurled themselves in the true spirit
of knightly honour and disinterested service.
Lohengrin rescues Elsa from false and deadly
intrigue ; Tannhauser, his soul from the snares
of the Venusberg ; and Parsifal, proof against
all false allurements, reaches the serene heights
of absolute command over himself and life.
Whether aware of it or not, Herr Jung
ideally portrayed the knightly spirit, to save
which practically the whole world is fighting
the Central Empires in this terrible war. It
is a trite saying : " No one is a prophet in
his own country." Assuredly Wagner was not
in the waj^ he intended, as an apostle of
World-Brotherhood ; and perchance it was for
this reason that he was banned and exiled,
and forced to spend most of his life away from
his native land. As to the life-work of Wagner
and the lessons it teaches — fully explained in
his writings — Germany appears merely to have
extolled his evocations of the past, the nebulous
historical sagas, and to have deified these,
the better, presumably, to serve her one end and
aim of conquest.
Another series of performances, well worthy
of remembrance, was that given by members of
the " Comedie Francaise," with Madame Bartet
and Messieurs Paul Mounet and Lambert in
the title roles. These artists scored great
BERNE UNDER WAR CONDITIONS 199
successes, Monsieur Lambert being recalled no
less than eight times in Berne, and sixteen
in Zurich, the very centre of German influence.
With regard to these performances, it may be
of interest to note a passage in the Third
Act of " Les Horaces et Curiaces." In Horace
Corneille typifies the Roman ideal, and in Curiace
the Gallic. When, in the Third Act, the two
friends and brothers-in-law, chosen by their
respective States to fight each other to the death,
meet in a last farewell interview, Horace brutally
says to Curiace : " Rome a besoin de moi — je
ne te connais plus." (Rome needs me — I know
thee no more.) Curiace answers with emotion :
" Et moi — je te connais encore, et c'est cela
qui me tue." (And I — I know thee still, and
it is that that is killing me.) Could any words
better portray the two fundamentally differ-
ing attitudes of mind between the Roman
and the Gaul, or better illustrate the brutal,
if heroic, insentience of the Roman, or the
tender and no less heroic (for the Gaul over-
throws the Roman) humanity of the Gaul ?
It is said that one nation, in the absence of
means of contact, to a great extent estimates
other nations by what it sees of these on the
stage ; and doubtless a good deal of truth lies
hidden in this saying. To those who under-
stand both the English and French " theatre
200 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
pour rire," the realistic farce provides an evening's
desultory laugh, the memory of which dies with
the last joke ; but to foreign eyes and ears
strained, whether consciously or not, to catch
traits of character, a farce may give birth to
very wrong impressions, and become a positive
international danger through false estimates
of values. For this reason, chiefly, it was with
the keenest pleasure one welcomed the advent
in Switzerland of the " Comedie Francaise,"
the embodiment of all that is best, highest, and
most ideal in France.
During the first days of the war, and the ensuing
unprecedented situation, before the horror of it
had become uppermost, many were the incidents
of awkwardness whispered from ear to ear.
Berne being a small capital, certain sets in it
meet daily, and the Diplomatic Corps assumes
almost the aspect of a " vie de famille." Many
of its members were on intimate terms, friends
often of years' standing, when the curtain
descended on the old order of things on those
fateful August days of 1914. One night per-
chance the French were dining with their
Austrian colleagues, or the British with the
Germans, and the next morning were to meet
as strangers. The situation seemed unreal and
impossible, and naturally led to much groping
and questionings to find a new " modus vivendi."
BERNE UNDER WAR CONDITIONS 201
In one case a Minister's wife meeting her Austrian
colleague, whom the day before she had called
by her Christian name, would be at a loss to
know what to do, the result culminating on
both sides in a half-nod with averted eyes ;
or an Allied caller at a Swiss house would un-
avoidably come face to face with a new enemy —
an erstwhile familiar friend. Such incidents were
at first of daily occurrence. I remember one
especially, more humorously long drawn out.
An Allied Military Attache was calling on Swiss
friends, when the servant came in, and, with
a perplexed look, whispered something in the
ear of the hostess. " Be quick," said the latter
to her Allied caller, " the servant has said I am
in ; but if you go through my boudoir here to
the left, you will escape an awkward meeting."
The caller, following directions, tiptoed through
the boudoir to a door leading to a passage,
but only to find himself confronted by the
Austrian Military Attache, who, conducted by
the no less tactful servant, had also made the
same detour. The Allied caller, quickly closing
the door with the hope that he had not been
recognized, retraced his steps to fly by the
usual entrance — only to meet his new enemy
again. This time escape was impossible, the
Austrian ejaculating : " Well, Colonel, bad luck
this time ! " at which both laughed and passed on.
202 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
In a very short time, however, events in
Belgium and France made too deep an im-
pression for any room to be left to the lighter
side of things, and such incidents were avoided
by more careful forethought and organization.
The Swiss and other Neutrals held separate
reception days for the Allies and their antagonists,
and official receptions at the Palais Federal
were accurately scheduled as to time, so as to
avoid any untoward meetings of the representa-
tives of the belligerent nations. The severance
became complete, though it required a little
time to accomplish. The Diplomatic Tennis
Club, for instance — a favourite resort for tennis
in summer and skating in winter — had likewise
to modify its rules to meet the changed conditions.
As a mode of partition between the Allies and
the Central Empires the even dates were allotted
to one side, the uneven to the other. How it
came about no one exactly knew, but the Central
Empires secured the uneven, thus gaining the
advantage of seven extra days in the year,
as the least calculating found out in the course
of time. Gradually the new " modus vivendi "
became established ; and, indeed, the news reach-
ing Berne of the urgent demands from many
quarters for help developing the instinctive
desire to be of some service in the struggle at
hand, more and more restricted the purely
social functions.
BERNE UNDER WAR CONDITIONS 203
When the idea of the " B.L.R.C.O." was
suggested by Lady Grant Duff, she, together
with Mme. Pageot, organized a " The-Tombola,"
the first social function started in German
Switzerland for charitable purposes in the Allied
cause. The success of this so far exceeded all
calculations, that arrangements for tea made
for about 300 visitors were called upon to
provide for more than double that number,
the net result in funds amounting to the gratify-
ing total of frs. 22,000 towards French and
British Red Cross work. Later, again, when
the prisoners of war had arrived and been
interned some little time in Switzerland, and had
accumulated a good deal of work to be disposed
of, a series of bazaars was held in the large
towns by the French and Swiss. In these the
British took part, their stall of carpets, arranged
by Miss Martin, making a handsome and very
successful exhibit amongst others, such as book-
binding, leather work, etc. It was a pleasure,
too, to see some, however few, lovely wooden
box designs, one with figures and animals in
high relief. Wood-carving was a talent I had
no idea our men possessed, but which these
samples conclusively proved they did.
It was at the bazaar of this series held in
Berne that the Scottish dancers carried off
the palm of attraction. The long hall set aside
204 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
for the buffet had a stage at one end, and long
before the afternoon performance was to take
place every tea-table was occupied. This in
itself meant 200 spectators, but by the time
the dancing began, every available inch of
room was crammed, tremendous cheering greet-
ing the Scotsmen. The same thing occurred
in the evening, when my wife, who was in charge
of the buffet arrangements, and had fortunately
had the doors closed until eight o'clock so as
to allow holders of reserved tables to reach
their seats, was warned that some 400
people were massed outside. On the doors
being opened, the effect was like that of a river
breaking a dam and flooding the entire hall.
The success of our Scotsmen was phenomenal,
and their services, always attended with the
same results, were never dispensed with at any
bazaar later on.
Another scheme put in motion for the disposal
of Allied Interned work was that afterwards
called the " Suisse-Amerique." This consisted
in disposing of some of the work in America,
and received its practical application through
Mme. Grouitch, wife of the Serbian Minister
to Switzerland, and American by birth. Mme.
Grouitch had just returned from the United
States, and suggested organizing a Pavilion
of Allied Interned " Ps. of W." work at the great
BERNE UNDER WAR CONDITIONS 205
war bazaars taking place yearly in some of
the large towns in the States, such as New York,
Washington, St. Louis, Chicago, and Philadelphia.
A Committee was at once formed called the
" Suisse- Amerique," under the aegis of Mme.
Schulthess, wife of the President of the Swiss
Confederation, as President. Mrs. Stovall,
wife of the American Minister to Switzer-
land, and Mme. de Sprecher, wife of the
Swiss Chief of Staff. Some 300,000 and more
articles were despatched to the States, Mme.
Grouitch graciously volunteering to return
thither to act as delegate of the Committee.
If, fortunately for the Allied cause, America
shortly after entered the war, it was not so
fortunate for the scheme in hand, as only one
of these bazaars — that in New York — was held
during the winter of 1917, when, no doubt
rightly, the scheme, now that America had
entered the struggle, was stopped by the U.S.
Government. At this one bazaar about $600,000
were taken in entry fees alone, so that it was a
blow to hear of the cancelling of the others.
Owing, however, to the splendid energy and
spirit of Mme. Grouitch, who at once took
other measures for the disposal of the consign-
ments, no loss occurred to the venture. To
meet the initial outlay required by the despatch
of the Interned work to America, my wife was
206 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
asked to organize another " Th6-Tombola " at
Berne, and was much touched by the support
and sympathy shown by the Allies and Neutrals,
more especially by Russians who had been
hard hit by the revolution in their country.
This " The-Tombola " made a clear profit of
frs. 8,000.
These activities, together with the daily office
routine, occupied much of our time, so that
little was left for other social distractions, which
had diminished proportionately. Small dinners,
teas, soirees and bridge, with an occasional
amateur dramatic performance for some war
need or other, filled to overflowing the remainder.
One eventful evening, however, I cannot pass
without mention — that of the arrival of General
Leman, the heroic defender of Liege, who, it
will be remembered, when unable to offer further
resistance to the Germans, had had the fortress
mined, and ordered it to be blown up, himself
remaining in it, preferring death to surrender.
That he was still alive when rescued from the
debris is one of the marvels of the war. What
the Allies owe General Leman for that heroic
resistance to the first German onrush will prob-
ably be only generally known and valued when
history has made the facts clear, but on the
night of his arrival, the sight of his small
and compact figure, very like Lord Roberts
BERNE UNDER WAR CONDITIONS 207
in build, was well-nigh overwhelming. The
enthusiasm of his reception at the station and
en route to the Hotel Bernerhof could be gauged
by the echoes of the cheers reaching us in the
Central Hall, where we had congregated. Many
Germans, mostly members of the Diplomatic
Corps, were present at the time, and were sitting
at various tables over after-dinner coffee, when
the General appeared, surrounded by com-
patriots : members of his own and Allied Lega-
tions. Every one rose as at some magic signal
— even all the Germans, men and women alike,
their faces reflecting curiosity and wonder, quite
different from their usual supercilious expression.
Deep was the general emotion. Of all present,
however, General Leman was probably the only
one unaware of the depth of the feeling he
evoked.
Especially agreeable and sympathetic is the
remembrance of the charming hospitality of
Swiss friends, whose salons have an old world
atmosphere peculiarly their own. One is tempted
to believe that, owing to their forming more
or less a society, removed from the excitements
and stress of larger capitals, they have been
able to maintain an atmosphere of quiet conducive
to thought and sentiment regarding the more
abstract interests of life.
Looking back from this distance, the first
208 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
months of tho Great War appear to have passed
in a strange semi-hypnotic state of mind, made
up of surprise, anxiety, and horror. Mentally
unprepared for the inhuman catastrophe — a
" lese-humanite " in its truest sense — one felt
as must a tree at blows levelling its growth
and blossom to the ground. At the same time,
a deep sense of indignation little by little restored
the mental balance, which was soon to enable
one to return to a sense of the immediate and
growing necessities of the situation, and endea-
vour to meet these as they arose ; and one
cannot but feel a great thankfulness at having
been privileged to find work in the many war
activities in Switzerland, herein detailed, towards
the relief of our suffering brotherhood.
As I mentioned at the opening of these chapters,
I little thought when taking up our residence
in Berne that it would be for four consecutive
years. Yet, looking back, these long years
appear to have passed as a flash, so great was
the anxiety, so full the daily task, so steady the
conviction of an ultimate successful issue to
the horrible drama of the World War.
INDEX
Ador, Monsieur Gustave, Presi-
dent of the Swiss Con-
federation, 1918 ; President
of the International Red
Cross Society of Geneva,
27, 133
Allied Military Attaches in
Switzerland, 1914, 14
Annan, Miss, 176, 177
Arago, Monsieur, French De-
puty, 52
Armee-Sanitats-Anstalt(A.S.A.)
(Lucerne), 108
Arndt, Dr. (Berne), 103, 107
Artificial limbs, 116
Austin-Lee, Sir Henry, Hon.
Attache British Embassy,
Paris, 42
Bohny, Colonel Dr., Chief of
Swiss Military Red Cross
Department, 72, 73, 77
British Hospitals, Boulogne,
Calais, etc., 42
British Interned , M ii r r e n
(Magazine) "B.I.M.," 189,
190
British Legation Red Cross
Organization in Switzerland
(B.L.R.C.O.), 34, 40-46, 49,
77, 101, 103, 146-148, 155,
174, 181, 182, 189, 203
British Red Cross Society,
London (B.R.C.S.), 45, 46,
70, 108, 110, 115, 146, 151,
15
153, 156, 158, 175, 176,
185
" British Section " of the
Bureau de Secours aux
Prisonniers de Guerre, 57-
61, 63, 64, 67, 68, 70,
182
Brustlein, Captain Dr., 102, 126
Bureau do Secours aux Pris-
onniers de Guerre, 54, 56, 68
Central Prisoners of War Com-
mittee, 45, 63, 64, 71, 153,
183, 184
Charley, Major H. R., Assistant
B.R.C.S. Commissioner, 70,
150, 153, 155, 189, 190
Chaux, Captain Dr. de la
(Swiss Army), 35, 120
Civilian Refugees, French and
Belgian, 51
Clement, Captain Dr. (Fri-
bourg), 107, 111, 169, 172
Comite Bernois, 54, 56
Conference between British
Navigation Interests, Bag-
dad Railway Company,
and Deutsche Bank, 3
Cook-Daniels, Mrs. G, Founder
of Carpet Workshop Gun-
ten, 43, 146, 147, 182
Egli, Colonel C. H., £tat-
Major General (Swiss), 16-
18
209
210 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
Favre, Major Edouard, Swiss
Medical Staff, 169, 186
Foreign Office, London, 3, 5, 57
Carnett, Dr., Advisor for
Technical Instruction of
Interned, 46, 137-139, 149-
153
Gillespie, Lieut. -Colonel A. K.,
43, 181, 182
Grand Blesses, 27, 47-49, 112
Grand d'Hauteville, Mr. Paul,
Hon. Sec. British Section
Bureau de Secours aux
Prisonniers de Guerre, 56,
68, 69
Grant-Duff, Sir Evelyn,
K.C.M.G., H.M.'s Minister
to Switzerland 1913-1916,
9-13, 54, 59, 60, 82
Grant-Duff, Lady, 34, 39-42,
44, 54-58, 60, 62, 63, 66,
68, 71, 77, 82, 203
" Gray " Hut Chateau d'Oex,
175
Group Presidents of the
B.L.R.C.O., names of, 42, 43
Harpe, Major de la, Swiss Staff
Officer for British Interned,
93
Hauser, Colonel, " Medecin
d'Armee," principal medical
officer of Swiss Army, 30,
32, 36, 72, 73, 77, 85, 90,
92, 93, 99, 100, 102, 104,
107, 110, 111, 113, 114, 119,
121, 123, 125, 130, 131, 133,
135, 140, 188
Hobday, Mr., Secretary
Y.M.C.A. in Switzerland,
167, 179, 180, 182
Hoffmann, Monsieur, President
of the Swiss Confederation
(1914), 30
Holy See, 27-29, 178
HSpitaux Militaires, 41
Imperial Conference, Potsdam,
July 5, 1914, 4, 5
International Red Cross Society
of Geneva, 27, 39, 133
Itinerant Commission of Swiss
Doctors, 31-33, 99, 112
Itinerant Court Martial (Swiss),
96
Jameson, Sir Starr, B.R.C.S.,
London, 175
Jones, Lieut. -Colonel, Sir
Robert, R.A.M.C., 125-130
Julliard, Dr. (Geneva), 107, 108
Kitchener of Khartoum, Field
Marshal, Viscount, O.M.,
etc., 24, 25
Kocher, Professor (Berne),
105-107
Kuhlmann, Herr von, 3-5
" La Croix Rouge Suisse," 38,
47, 49, 54
" La Ligue Pro Captivis," 38,
133-135
" La Societe du Mogen David
Rouge,'1 38, 160
" La Societe Suisse des Au-
moniers," 38
" La Societe Suisse le Bien du
Soldat," 38
" Les Unions Chretiennes des
Jeunes Gens de la Suisse n
(Swiss Y.M.C.A.), 38, 182
"L'CEuvre Universitaire
Suisse," 142, 143
Law, Mr. W. I., L.D.S., 115
Lawley, Sir Arthur, Report on
British Section, Bureau de
Secours aux Prisonniers de
Guerre, 67
INDEX
211
Leman, General (Belgian), 206,
207
Llopart, Captain Dr., Swiss
Medical Officer, 91, 92, 116
London Polytechnic Society,
108
Machard, Dr. (Geneva), 107, 108
Manneville, Comte de, in
charge French Interned,
111, 135
Marchetti, Mgr., Delegate of
the Holy See, 29, 178
Martin, Miss, Founder Carpet
Workshop, Gunten, 147,
182, 203
Matti, Dr. (Berne), 107, 109,
130
Mercanton, Major Dr., Direct-
ing Medical Officer Chateau
d'Oex Region, 89, 120
Metcalfe, Miss, 176
Millerand, Monsieur, Fn
Minister of War, 27
Ministers of Religion to the
Interned, names of, 159-164
Mitchell, Major, Representative
of the Ministry of Pensions,
151, 152
Montmollin, Colonel George, 142
Morgenthau, Mr., American
Ambassador Constanti-
nople, 4
Neish, Lieut. -Colonel F. H.,
S.B.O., Miirren, 91, 145-147
Northcliffe, Lord, 45, 183, 185
" OEuvre des E elopes " (Paris),
41
Pageot, Madame, Founder of
the Bureau de Secours aux
Prisonniers de Guerre, 54,
65, 203
Patriotic League (Lausanne),
174
Picot, Mrs. M. D., 8, 10, 43,
49, 63, 82
Picot, Miss R., 1, 10, 44, 49,
69, 82
i Poinsard, Monsieur, Founder
of the Bureau de Secours
aux Prisonniers de Guerre,
54, 56, 65
Prisoners of War Help Com-
mittee, 57, 62
Propaganda in Switzerland, 22,
193-200
Proposals for Internment of
Prisoners of War, 20, 24-30
Roux, Dr. (Lausanne), 106, 107
Rowan, The Rev. Father D.V.,
Professor University at
Fubourg, 162, 163
Rumbold, Sir Horace, Bart.,
E.M.'fl Minister in Switzer-
land 1916-1919, 49
Rumbold, Lady, 42, 43, 40,
71, 175, 179
Sandwich, Tho Earl of,
K.C.V.O., Central Prisoners
of War Committee, 151-153
Santucci, Comte Charles, En-
voy of tho Holy See, 28
Savoy, Captain Aumdnier Her-
bert, Chaplain-General to
R.C. Interned, 159, 160
Sawyer, Miss Nesta, 69
Sewell, The Rev. A. H., Army
Chaplain C. of E., 163, 164
Simpkin, Miss, Manor Farm,
Interlaken, 106, 107
" Special Branch " for Interned
of B.L.R.C.O., 44, 45
Sprecher von Bernegg, Colonel,
Chief of Staff of the Swiss
Army, 14
212 THE INTERNED IN SWITZERLAND
Sprecher von Bernegg, Madame,
133, 135, 205
State of men arriving from
Germany, 33, 34
" Suisse Amerique M (Com-
mittee for sale of Interned
work), 204, 205
Sutherland, the Rev. A. M.,
Presbyterian Church, 162,
164, 174-176, 188
Swiss Army, 13-18, 35, 36, 38,
84, 94, 97, 100, 113, 187
Swiss Doctors in service of
Interned, 107
Swiss Economics, 19, 20, 22,
23, 104, 136, 140, 141, 145
Swiss Sanitary Service (for
Interned), 84-89, 100, 102-
104, 109, 117, 118, 124
Trench, Colonel, late British
Military Attache in Berlin,
6-8
Tscharner, Monsieur Louis de,
26
Urgency Case Hospital, 41
Valentin, Madame, Founder of
the Comite Bernois, 54
Voluntary workers of the
British Section Bureau de
Secours aux Prisonniers de
Guerre, names of, 69, 70
Wallis, Lieut. C. E., Founder
Motor Workshop, Vevey,
146, 148, 152-156
Wangenheim, Baron von, Ger-
man Ambassador in Con-
stantinople, 4
Whitwell, Mr., Representative
of Y.M.C.A. in Switzerland,
177, 178, 180, 182
Wille, General Ulrich, Com-
mander-in-Chief of the
Swiss Army, 13, 14
Woods, Mr. Joseph A., M.D.S.,
L.D.S., 113, 114, 116
Wyndham, Colonel, British
Military Attache in Switzer-
land (1916-1918), 25
Y.M.C.A., 45, 174, 177-182
Y.W.C.A., 184
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